Winter's Soldier is Coming
by Mystic Lady Fae
Summary: Steve and Adena are happily married and living in Washington D. C. When their world starts crumbling all around them, how can Steve keep his wife safe, especially when an assassin called The Winter Solder surfaces? Set during the Winter Soldier film.
1. Married Life and Adjustments

Disclaimer: I own nothing _**Captain America**_-related…though I might consider asking _**Marvel**_ to loan him and the rest of the Avengers to me for a while. Until then, only original characters are mine.

AN: Yes, I am back with Cap and Adena! Of course, it won't be exactly like the new movie, since I don't have the entire film memorized word-for-word, but this is fan fiction, so I'm allowed to take a few liberties. And, of course, Sharon Carter will not be in this fic (because of what happened in the previous series I wrote). Instead, there will be another agent watching over the Rogers'; more details about that later, though. For now, please enjoy, and don't forget to review!

**Chapter 1: Married Life and Adjustments:**

"Married life suits you," Natasha often told me whenever we met up for lunch or coffee.

I was more than inclined to agree with her. Life with Steve had always been a comfortable one, but after getting married, things seemed to deepen in ways that never would have been possible while we'd just been friends.

Not that my marriage to Steve was perfect –like any couple, we fought, and occasionally had a fight so bad, we spent the entire evening where we didn't speak to one another. Lucky for us, those kinds of things were few and far between, and only made our 'making up' so much the better when we went to bed at night.

So, our arguments were far from being the bumps in our marriage. Although bumps were expected, there were some that more resembled road blocks, and those took a lot of effort to get around.

* * *

The first 'bump' had been me finally deciding to call Steve by his first name. I still called him Cap occasionally, but it was more an affectionate nickname for when we were alone –and that was quickly beginning to give way to me addressing him by his actual name.

Unfortunately, my decision about Steve's name had been due to an outside incursion into our lives. Namely, my husband's identity being openly shared with the public.

Yes, Steve's anonymity had been wiped away, simply because some government officials had decided that he needed to have his own exhibit in the Smithsonian. It was meant to be a tribute to the courageous, patriotic hero who had helped save the world from the alien invasion, and for the most part, the public had agreed with this idea. However, the public also wanted to get the full story of the man that they had forgotten about over the previous decades.

Due to the public's demand for information on their new favorite hero, and thanks to pressure from Washington officials, Fury had been put in an awkward position. He didn't want to give up Steve's identity, but it was clear that people wanted answers –with so much interest focused on this, it was clearly a situation that wasn't going to go away anytime soon.

So, in a move to placate everyone, including those who wanted to know what sort of individuals were watching over and protecting the world, Fury gave up the goods. It was a move I was not happy about, since I now wasn't able to call my husband "Cap" in public. His nickname was popular, and often used throughout his fan-base, so of course, that meant I couldn't use it unless I wanted people looking in my direction to see who I was talking to.

Anyway, with the new available information, Washington quickly approved the building of the exhibit, and it was completed in record time, thanks to the donations that had poured in from across the country (including from Tony Stark, the stinker). A whole wing was added to the already immense Smithsonian museum, and the exhibit was packed full of items that had been dug out of Army storage, or from mementos kept by the families of men Steve had served with. Included were tons of rolls of film, historical and documental films, memorabilia and tools from various units Steve had served in, and even some of the outfits he and his group had worn during WWII. When told about it, even I had to admit that the effort being put into the displays was very impressive.

On the day of the exhibit's opening, Steve had been forced to attend, as it would have looked bad if he didn't. I, however, was not with him onstage as he cut the ribbon to the building's entrance –I wasn't even allowed to attend the ceremony. There was nothing I had wanted to do more than stand by his side to offer my love and support. But in the end, I couldn't.

Unfortunately, my not being there was part of the deal Steve and I had made with Fury: no one would know that Steve and I were married.

Our marriage was a secret that particularly needed to be kept. Fury, Steve and I agreed that everyone ought to know Captain America had a wife, if only to keep the more obsessed fan-girls at bay, but Fury decided that they didn't need to know _who_ his wife was, exactly. That information was to be kept confidential, like our address and other personal data, to preserve at least part of our privacy.

Fury had also made a deal with the newspapers and tabloids: no reporters or photographers were to try and seek out more information on Captain America or his wife. The world would have to be satisfied with the information that SHIELD had already provided, whether they liked it or not.

Of course, I highly suspected that threats had been made by Fury as well, but after a quick thought, I decided to look past it. If it kept us out of the public eye, so much the better! It meant that Steve and I could live our lives relatively peacefully, and without having to worry about our safety.

And for the most part, it was kind of easy to hide who we were. Steve would put on a hat with a visor to hide his face, but not make it look like that was what he was doing. Occasionally, he'd put on sunglasses (on a sunny day), or nerdy eyeglasses with fake lenses to fool people. The sight of him in those glasses always made me laugh.

Lucky for me, I didn't have to resort to any of that, though I still felt bad for my poor husband. JT was able to tap into satellites owned and operated by SHIELD to tell me if there was going to be a problem with people following me, so I had that little bit of a security blanket when it came to staying away from unwanted attention.

Other than him being recognized, the only complication with Steve's identity being out was my family finding out about him.

* * *

I honestly hadn't wanted my family to know the truth, but it was better than them finding out another way, like from an online search, or worse -by visiting the Smithsonian and reading Steve's biography, particularly about him being alive and married.

Obviously, my folks blew a gasket once they found out who their son-in-law really was. They'd thought him to be a descendant of Captain America, but to find out he was the real deal freaked them out a bit. For hours, I had to listen to my mother lecture me through the phone, telling me that keeping secrets from my parents was wrong, and that they'd had a right to know who Steve really was. My dad was slightly more understanding, but he hadn't liked being "deceived" either.

On the flip side of our parents' reaction, my brother thought it was "totally awesome" that I was married to a superhero, and told me that the next time he came to visit, he wanted to hold Captain America's shield. Steve thought it was a perfectly reasonable request, and agreed to it, if only to keep one member of my family happy. Luckily, my brother couldn't afford to travel, so that wish wasn't going to come true for him anytime soon. Plus, I think that Director Fury would not be happy about him tossing the shield around in public.

My extended family was a mixed bag when it came to what they thought about my situation. Some thought it was wonderful, some were hurt that I hadn't simply told them the truth, and some wanted me to divorce Steve ASAP, because they thought it was too dangerous being married to him. My only response to all of this was to have Fury slap them with confidentiality agreements and telling them to sign them, for their own good.

Since the documents were being handled by a top government agency that had secret agents and assassins on call, the negative family members stopped arguing with me after that.

* * *

The third hurdle Steve and I had to clear was our move from New York City to Washington D. C.

For me, the move to Washington had been the hardest, since the last thing I'd wanted was to move away from a city I had grown to love. Besides, New York was where I had met Steve -it was where our new lives had begun with one another, so it had a special place in our hearts.

But it couldn't be helped –Washington was where Director Fury had set up SHIELD's headquarters, known as the Triskelion, and once Steve decided to become part of SHIELD, that's where Fury had wanted us to move.

For the briefest of moments, I'd been angry at Steve joining the agency –but that anger quickly gave way to resignation. I knew that Steve wasn't the type to sit around and do nothing, and that he desperately wanted to help the world in any way he could. Besides, his determination to help keep the world safe was one of the reasons why I loved him.

The thought of defying the Director had occurred to me, but I knew it would be a bad idea. Steve hadn't like the idea of moving, either, but after talking about it, we agreed that it'd be better to go where Steve was needed (for the greater good and all).

In the end, I was able to put my prejudices aside and 'take one for the team' –I packed up, moved, and settled into our new place like a good girl, determined to try and make this new place work, if only for Steve's sake.

It was hard, at first, because I'd never really thought of the nation's capital as a place I'd ever visit, much less move to. Politics weren't really my thing, and being at the center of power for the country wasn't the least bit appealing. I also suspected that I was allergic to politicians, as I tended to get the urge to gag whenever one was close by.

Much to my relief, our apartment in D. C. was in a quiet neighborhood within the city limits. There was a park nearby, and a lovely street with a line of shops, eateries, and grocery markets. We even had a couple parking spaces reserved for us, since Director Fury had decided to allow us to drive ourselves wherever we wanted to go. Steve had a nice place for his new motorcycle, which he took to the Triskelion when he was called in, while I had a new two-door, sporty car to get around in.

During our first few weeks in our new place, Steve and I had gone out, toured the city, and gotten to know the place. We gradually grew to admit that while it was a beautiful city, it wouldn't really feel like 'home' to us, like New York. We still agreed to make the best of it.

In spite of our doubts, we soon developed favorite hang-outs and places to eat, as well as sights or monuments we enjoyed.

One of these, oddly enough, was the Smithsonian's exhibit on Steve.

* * *

My first visit to the Captain America section of the museum came a couple months after our move to D.C.

I didn't want to admit it, but I had always put off going. After all, I'd always thought that my grandmother had told me everything there was to know about Captain America while I was growing up. Given that my great-grandmother had known women who danced in the Captain's shows, it kind of figured that they would have the inside scoop.

Of course, I was wrong. All it took was a few steps into the exhibit, and I knew that there was a lot I didn't know about my husband's past.

All through the large hall, there were rooms with video recordings, glass walls with detailed etchings of biographical information, names or faces, and a million other displays that held information I had never known, because I'd never thought to ask Steve about it.

Being the understanding man he was, Steve didn't hold it against me. He said that his past was still something that pained him to talk about, if only because he had lost it so suddenly and so completely, all because of his decision to take down Red Skull's plane.

"But you've helped ease that pain so much, Adena," he whispered as we traveled the hallways, his face hidden under his hat and behind his (rather geeky) glasses. "If you hadn't been brought to me by Fury, I know that it would hurt so much more. I'd be lost."

Then he'd smiled as he put his arm around me. "And as cheesy as it sounds, having you and your love does make things so much more bearable."

I'd laughed and cuddled up next to him as he pointed out the outfits he and his group of fighters had worn during their battles against Red Skull's forces. "Though where they got the name The Howling Commandos, I'll never know," Steve muttered as I read the information on the display.

"Didn't you name the team?" I quietly asked as a group of tourists walked by.

He shook his head. "I was busy worrying about other things. I'd considered letting one of my men name us, but things got so chaotic, I forgot about it. Now it makes me wonder if they'd named us behind my back and never told me."

I agreed that could have been the case, and told him so as we drifted to a large glass monument stationed in the center of the room. The name and image of a good-looking young man, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, was engraved there, and the minute Steve saw it, he froze, eyes fixed on the image engraved into the glass.

"He was my best friend," he whispered, a look of guilt and sorrow flashing across his face. "We lost him during a mission. I stop by here sometimes, to see this."

I was surprised at this little revelation, but kept quiet about it. If Steve wanted to occasionally revisit his past, I wasn't going to argue.

Then I felt his arm around my waist tighten, and knew that his fears about losing me were swelling up inside him again. Bad enough to have to deal with losing your best friend, followed by your first love –then to have the trauma and drama of my being kidnapped by Loki and Sharon Carter piled on top of that was something that would make me paranoid about losing people I cared about, too.

From there, we made our way to the small theater they'd built to show various recorded interviews with people from Steve's past. For me, it was fascinating –for Steve, not so much. I knew that he'd been given the full tour of the place before it had been open to the public, and assumed that he sort of hardened himself when it came to the exhibit. The look on his face told me otherwise, and one of the films immediately showed me why.

In one of the documentaries was his former love, Peggy Carter.

Sitting beside him, I heard his breathing grow shallow, as though he were hyperventilating. I immediately slipped my hand into his, squeezing it tightly as the film played. I learned that she had married several years after Steve had gone missing, and it was clear that she was uncomfortable talking about it to the film crew.

"At least you know what happened to her afterwards," I whispered to him as we walked out of the theater. "She moved on and managed to find love again, just like you did."

Steve smiled a little. "I know. Director Fury even offered to give me an update on where she is now, in case I wanted to go see her."

I had to admit, my heart stopped at the thought of Steve wanting to reunite, even briefly, with Peggy Carter. "And?" I asked, trying not to swallow my tongue.

"And nothing," Steve replied, giving me a reassuring smile. "I know where she is, and that she has a condition called Alzheimer's –it's at the point where she's coherent one minute, and all of a sudden she doesn't recognize anyone, or loses track of time. I don't want to remember her like that."

He kissed me then, and only stopped when an elderly security guard told us to move along and take it outside.

* * *

After that, Steve took me to the exhibit twice a month. It became a sort of quiet hideout for us, where he could tell me all about his late or former friends, as well as their adventures. For the most part, it was entertaining and fun, watching him get excited and smiling at fond memories as he talked.

There were times, however, where he would get sad, particularly when he talked about Bucky Barnes. He had been with Steve ever since they were kids –Bucky had defended Steve from bullies, and had stayed by him after Steve's mother had passed away. The two had always been together, right up until Bucky's death during that fateful mission.

Even now, I don't think Steve ever forgave himself for not being able to save his closest friend. The haunted look he got while talking about Bucky was heartbreaking, and it took a lot of hugs and kisses from me to cheer him up again.

Thankfully, those trips were the only really depressing part of our move to Washington. The rest of the time, things were good, even after Steve got back from his missions. And there were a lot of missions.

I had thought that, after the Battle of New York, Steve wouldn't be called up much by Fury. The most I'd pictured my husband being summoned by SHIELD was once every few months, and even then, only as a last resort.

Turns out, the world was a lot more dangerous than I'd thought, and a lot of it never made it into the media. Natasha told me that most of it was thanks to the collaborative efforts of SHIELD's best agents and tech geeks –data went missing, videos and photos were scrambled or deleted, written documents were shredded 'accidentally,' and a bunch of other things that made it impossible to prove that certain events had happened.

It was a bit unsettling, knowing that a bunch of computer experts sitting in a room somewhere handled things like this. But of course, I couldn't protest against it; I highly suspected that this was how Fury managed to keep me and Steve living under the radar, but that didn't mean I approved of it.

Anyway, Steve's missions were the one thing that made me grumpy. It was one thing to get an hour's notice before he had to up and leave, but it was especially annoying when we'd be asleep, all nice and cozy in each other's arms, and JT would go off, letting us know that Fury wanted Steve to report in.

The first few times it happened, I'd very harshly suggested that I go give Fury a piece of my mind. Steve, of course, talked me out of it, and said that he would take the matter up with the Director himself. I had no idea if he had or not, since we still got those calls, but in the end, I grudgingly accepted the fact that they would continue to happen, whether I liked it or not.

One of the few comforts I had during Steve's missions was that he had Natasha Romanoff as his 'partner' whenever he went out. Having the infamous Black Widow keeping an eye on my husband's safety was probably the best balm that could be offered for my frayed nerves, especially when it came in the form of her personal promise to always bring Steve back to me. She became one of my most favorite people after that.

Another thing that ticked me off about Steve's missions, before I got used to them, was the fact that Steve could sometimes be gone for days, or maybe a week or more, leaving me alone and with not much to do. Until our move, I'd had no other job than helping Steve continue to adjust to the modern world. Now that Steve was well-adjusted to today's culture and out at least two or three times a month on SHIELD business, I was at a loss as to what to do during this free time.

I'd made the mistake of mentioning getting a part-time job to Director Fury, and gotten a pretty straight-forward response: I was forbidden to accept any kind of work position outside what I had been hired to do by SHIELD. Fury couldn't risk anyone finding out who I was and who I was married to, so that was out of the question.

In the end, I decided to talk to Pepper during one of her occasional visits to Washington. She was used to being separated from Tony for long periods of time, and over a lunch out, I broached the subject of what I should do. After some thought, she suggested that I either get myself a hobby, or, barring that, volunteer work.

"You aren't in the same situation as me, Adena," she gently told me, after I'd explained (and complained) about what was going on. "Tony and I are part of a structured, corporate world. We go by schedules that have been in place for weeks, or even months, and we always know where the other is, so that we can call and discuss things.

"What Steve has is different. He's on-call; he goes when they need him, and where he's needed. Just be grateful that he isn't being deployed long-term overseas to someplace dangerous, and that he comes back to you after every mission."

After I let that sink in, I realized she was right. While I didn't really like this new turn in our lives, I knew that I would have to tread the path similar to that of an Army wife. My husband would have to go when called, whether I liked it or not, and I should be grateful that he came back afterwards. At least he wasn't going to be forced to stay away for huge lengths of time.

I also decided to take my friend's advice and take up some volunteer work somewhere close by.

After my lunch with Pepper, I'd gone straight home and searched through the long list of charities, shelters, and other foundations that needed assistance, and after a week of searching, I settled on a local community center for war veterans.

After all, I was technically married to one, so why not help others who so desperately needed it?

* * *

AN: Guess who the elderly security guard was? Seriously, if you've seen the film, you know. (winks) I mean, I had to put him in there somewhere, right? Anyway, please review?


	2. New Friends and Neighbors

Disclaimer: I own nothing _**Captain America**_-related…though I might consider asking _**Marvel**_ to loan him and the rest of the Avengers to me for a while. Until then, only original characters are mine.

AN: I thought I'd remind everyone that, in my stories, Sharon Carter is not allowed near Steve or Adena, so we've got another agent keeping an eye on them. Instead, I have the deliciously hot Joe Manganiello from _True Blood_ as the basis for the guy secretly assigned to them by Fury. Please enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to review. Thanks!

**Chapter: 2: New Friends and Neighbors:**

"Hey, good-looking!" greeted a voice as I stepped through the front doors of the center.

Turning, I smiled. "You better be grateful my husband doesn't know you call me that. He'd beat you into hamburger, if he did."

Normally, Steve wasn't the jealous sort, but he did _not_ approve of other guys hitting on his wife. It wasn't a thing that happened often, but when it did, all it took was a glare and some flexed muscles, and the other guy quickly retreated. Some girls might be annoyed by this kind of behavior, but I thought it sweet, especially when Steve put his arm around me, openly saying I was his wife, and that anyone who wanted to try anything had better back off.

Lucky for Sam, I knew that he wasn't being serious when it came to complimenting me. Actually, there was only reason he tried to stay on my good side: I tended to stop by my favorite bakery right before my volunteer shift, and he wanted to get to the cookies before the others did.

Not that Sam was a bad guy or anything –he was always joking with me, and making sure I was okay during my hours at the clinic. He was kind, sweet, and always trying to make me laugh by telling bad jokes. In many ways, he reminded me a lot of Steve, which was probably why we got along so well.

Like many of the people here, Sam had been in the armed forces (specifically, the Air Force), but after losing his one of his friends during a firefight, he'd left the Air Force and to help other veterans with their PTSD and other war traumas. The other volunteers liked and respected him, and his support groups were very popular with those who came here for help.

"It's weird seeing you here on a Wednesday," Sam commented as he tried to snatch the box of treats from my hands. "Your man's schedule change again?"

Rolling my eyes, I offered him a small paper bag with a few cookies inside. He happily swiped them from me as I answered his question. "Actually, he got in late last night, and is sleeping in. Since I didn't want to risk waking him up, I decided to come in today."

That was true enough. As far as anyone was concerned, Steve was just a typical guy who worked odd shifts; as such, his unpredictable schedule meant that my time at the center was always changing, especially since he and I liked to spend as much time as possible together while he was home.

Luckily, when I'd explained my circumstances to the head of the hospital and the volunteer staff, they had been very understanding. I was given a sort of "open schedule," which meant that I could simply come in whenever I had time, as long as I gave them a bit of notice before I arrived. That way, if someone came asking for me, they'd know I was here.

Cramming a cookie into his mouth, Sam hooked his arm through mine and led me further into the building. "Does he know how lucky he is to have you? Because if not, I'm happy to fix that for you."

Laughing, I let him help me put the pastry box down near the coffee dispensers, where people could help themselves to its contents. Of course, I knew box would be empty within a couple hours –the chocolate-marshmallow cookies I brought were always a big hit.

"Seriously, Dee, you're a great girl," Sam said, finishing his cookie before handing another to one of the women behind the reception desk. She gave him a thankful look before turning back to her work. "That man had better appreciate you and everything you do, not only for him, but also for the rest of us here."

"Oh, he does," I said, smiling at the nickname he'd given me. Sam liked my name, but thought I needed something shorter, in case he really needed to get my attention. He was also the only one allowed to call me by that name –everyone else knew better.

"Well, try not to do too much today," he warned before walking off. "I know how much you like to push yourself."

Rolling my eyes, I headed off to the kids area. Today they were going to be coloring, and the teachers needed all the help they could get, to keep fights from breaking out over the crayons.

* * *

Steve hated waking up without his wife beside him –just seeing the cold, empty space where Adena should be gave him the loneliest feeling inside.

But he knew that she couldn't stay in bed while he slept, especially if he slept late. He had gotten in extremely late the night before, and gone straight to bed, draping his arm over his wife's waist before drifting off. He'd felt her gently shift out of his embrace hours later, but made no move to keep her with him –he knew she probably had things to do, and was too tired to do more than accept her affectionate kiss on his forehead before falling back to sleep.

Now that he was fully awake, Steve pouted slightly at the silence of the apartment. Adena was clearly not home yet from wherever she'd gone, leaving him to his own devices. Oh, well; it'd give him time to clean up a bit, and make something to eat before heading out on his usual jog.

By the time he was done showering and eating lunch, it was early afternoon. It was much later than his usual exercise routine, but Adena's note said she'd be out until later, and he wanted to get some fresh air before she came home. Besides, it was nice out, and with the trees blooming around the city, it made for a beautiful run.

He finished his running routine in record time, and the sight of the blossoming trees gave him an idea. Pausing at a local flower shop on his way home, Steve chose a bright bouquet of flowers, perfect for the dinner table. It had been a while since he'd bought Adena flowers, and he loved watching her expression when she got them.

The run home was quick, and he was thrilled to get to the apartment building and see her car out front. A look at the heat radiating off the hood indicated that she'd just gotten home. Perfect!

Rather than taking the elevator up to the third floor, Steve headed up the steps, only stopping to nod at their neighbor, Richard, who was heading out with a laundry basket. His name was Richard Cooper, really –he was a male nurse at the local hospital, and kept all sorts of odd hours, depending on when he was on-call.

"You're in a bit late," Richard teased him as he tried to juggle his laundry, a pouch of coins, his wallet and cell phone. "The missus won't like that, I'll bet."

"She'll be fine with it," Steve replied before letting himself into his own apartment.

For some reason, Steve just couldn't get himself to like the man. It might be because Richard was the tall, dark, handsome type, with thick black hair, brown eyes, and a sense of humor that sent women into flirtatious giggles every time he spoke to them. He also had a physique that was too good for a male nurse. Weren't they supposed to be too busy to visit the gym? This man clearly had more than enough time on his hands for that.

Scowling, Steve had to admit that he didn't like having such a handsome man near Adena. He knew that Adena loved him and would never stray from their marriage –he trusted her with all his heart, and vice versa. However, more than once, he'd seen the two together, chatting, joking and laughing in the hall, and it always made him see red.

Of course, whenever he brought the subject up, Adena told Steve he was being ridiculous. "He's just being a nice neighbor," she always said.

But even he had to grudgingly admit that she was right, in a sense –from what Adena had told him, Richard had never once invited her into his apartment, and never been inside theirs. In fact, the only times Steve had seen the two together was in the hallway, and whenever they ran into each other while getting their mail.

So of course, it was silly of him to be jealous, but you couldn't blame a man for wanting to keep guys away from his wife. And again, that didn't mean Steve had to like him –he'd just be nice, because Adena always told him to be nice to their neighbors.

"Adena?" Steve called as he locked the door behind him.

"Just a second!" she replied, right before she rushed out of their little office/library to meet him. "Oh, Steve, you brought flowers!"

Smiling, he handed the bouquet to her, right before she launched herself into his arms for a hug and a kiss. He received both with a thrill of joy and contentment. He really was the luckiest guy in the world to have her.

As Adena pulled out of their embrace, she pressed another kiss to his cheek. "They're beautiful," she said, smiling. "I was worried that you'd been called away again, when I saw you were gone."

That just made him feel guilty about their new situation all over again. They'd been here in D.C. for more than nine months, but it was still hard for the two of them to be separated so much. His missions never lasted long, and he wasn't gone more than a few times a month, but they still missed each other. If Adena asked him to leave SHIELD, Steve would do it; but he knew she never would. She understood his desire to be useful and to help protect people, and even though it was hard, he knew she would learn to adjust. It just took time.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I wanted a run before you got home."

She merely smiled and put a comforting hand on his cheek. "It's okay. I'm just glad that you're back. I ordered Thai food for dinner, so we can either eat at the table, or while we watch a movie."

Movie nights at home were their favorite. Snuggling up against one another on the couch for hours, with take-out in their hands and a good film was the perfect way to spend the evening together.

Grinning, Steve went to help her get the silverware ready for when the food arrived.

* * *

The next morning, Steve went for his usual run and returned home to the welcome sight of his wife making waffles. He knew he'd have at least the next few days to enjoy her company, and intended to savor every moment of it.

Breakfast was quiet, as usual. Adena usually lost herself in the comic section of the paper as she ate, or in whatever new book she had just purchased. Steve, meanwhile, did his best to read through the articles, searching for anything he didn't understand that he could ask his wife about. His re-education was going extremely well, and he was almost caught up on modern events and culture, but he still had issues with a few things.

After their meal was over and the dishes tossed into the dishwasher, Steve put his arm around Adena's waist and smiled. "Let's go somewhere fun," he suggested.

He was rewarded with the sight of her eyes lighting up with excitement. She knew that he wanted to spend the entire day relaxing with her, instead of them doing chores or grocery shopping. "I'll grab my purse," she said, running to do just that.

In five minutes, they were headed out the door, tossing ideas back and forth about what to do. It was slightly overcast, with the chance of rain, but that didn't lessen their spirits. Steve actually felt pretty good –until they ran into their neighbor.

In the hallway was Richard, who gave them a warm smile as he made to turn the lock in his door. Steve, however, noticed how much warmer his smile was for Adena, compared to the one he gave him. Scowling, Steve put his arm around his wife, and tried to lead her off before Richard could draw them into a conversation.

"Hi, Adena," Richard cheerfully greeted her. Steve bit back a groan –too late.

"Hi, Richie," she replied with a smile. "Did you just finish a shift?"

He smiled. "Nope, I'm just back from doing an errand. Where are you off to?"

Steve watched his wife shrug. "Not sure yet. We'll know when we get there."

Richard nodded his understanding. "Oh, I forgot. Here's something I thought you'd like." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gift card for a local toy store. "A family member of a patient was giving these to the nurses who treated his niece. Since I don't have any kids, I thought the ones at the center you volunteer at might like it. I think it's got fifty bucks on it or something."

Steve couldn't stop the wave of jealousy that washed through him as Adena took the card and thanked him enthusiastically as she tucked it away in her purse. "The kids will love it. I'll see if the director there will let us do a trip to pick up some art stuff for their projects."

"That's what I'm hoping for," Richard cheerfully replied as he opened his door. "Well, have a good day. It's great out."

Adena gave him a polite goodbye while Steve did his best not to glare at the other man. It wasn't until they were outside that Steve realized that Adena was eying him closely.

"What?" he asked, indignant and puzzled at the way she was looking at him.

"Jealousy doesn't become you, Captain," she teased. "It's like I always tell you: Richie's just being nice. That's all."

The scowl never vanished from Steve's face. "I don't like him," he flatly said. "And since when do you call him 'Richie?'"

She sighed and pulled him across the street to the park, where they could talk. "I call him Richie because he asked me to. That was months ago."

She saw he was still frowning, and began rubbing her forehead in exasperation. "Seriously, Steve, there's no reason for you to be jealous. He's just a nice guy who's…being nice. That's it. I don't know why you can't like him, but at least _try_ to be decent to the man? It's always a good idea to be on good terms with your neighbors, in case you need help with something."

"That's what SHIELD agents are for," Steve muttered, reaching out to take her hand in his.

Adena sighed again. "Not that kind of help! I meant help with repairing a broken chair, or something of that nature. That other kind of help, I'll leave to the professionals."

He had to smile at that. "I'll try and be semi-decent to the man, but only because you want me to."

She smiled up at him before leaning up to press a kiss to his lips. "That's all I ask. Now let's go have some fun."

Hand-in-hand, they headed off into the park, the bright morning sun breaking through the cloudy skies as they walked.

* * *

From his seat at the window, Richie watched Captain Rogers and his wife head into the park, no doubt heading towards the local shops nearby. He wanted to follow, but knew it was a bad idea –for some reason, Steve Rogers didn't like him, and Richie decided it'd be best to keep a safe distance.

'_It doesn't help that I'm noticeable, either_.' At six-foot-three inches, Richie knew that no matter where he went, he'd stand out like a sore thumb. Trailing them was always out of the question; it was a task for other, more subtle agents.

He still had no idea why Director Fury had chosen him to keep an eye on the Rogers'. There were at least a dozen other agents who could have had this assignment, but Fury had decided to put Richie on the case. Why the good Captain and his wife needed protection was a bit of a given –after what had happened with Agent 13, also known as Sharon Carter, and with Captain America possibly making enemies every time he went out on a mission, it was necessary.

His job was to get close enough to be friendly with both Steve and Adena Rogers, but not _too_ friendly –a good agent always knew to keep things impersonal when it came to their assignments. He just had to be a good neighbor that didn't attract attention for any reason.

Getting on Adena Rogers' good side was easy enough –she was a sweet thing, with an open friendliness that Richie rarely saw in his line of work. She had warmly received his greeting when he initiated contact after he'd moved in, and ever since, their encounters had been included a smile, a greeting, and a kind reply. She even gave an effort to smile whenever she was exhausted from a long day, or when she was having a bad one and didn't want to take it out on him.

However, it was obvious that Adena's kind nature was what caused Steve Rogers to dislike Richie so much –he did _not_ like seeing another man pay attention to his wife.

But Richie was not one to chase after something that was way beyond his reach. As fond as he was starting to become of Adena Rogers, Richie knew that if he went up against the infamous Captain America, the super-soldier would wipe the floor with Richie's face before proceeding to kick the crap out of him even more, just to be sure he got the point.

No, Richard Cooper knew better than to try a stupid thing like that. He'd keep his emotional distance from his charges, no matter how much he wanted to really be friends with them.

The device on his belt let out a small chirp, getting his attention. Picking it up, he waited until the computer demanded a report. "They're heading out for the day. I won't follow, but if eyes are needed on them, other agents are suggested for the assignment."

"Understood," the computer acknowledged. "Continue as ordered. Another report is due at 21:00 hours."

With that, the machine clicked off, leaving Richie alone to figure out his own day. Since it was bound to be slow, he might as well head to the Triskelion and see if there was a small assignment he could complete today.

'_Seriously, who knew that looking after one of the world's greatest superheroes could be so boring_?' he silently complained as he headed out.

* * *

AN: Next chapter up soon! Review?


	3. Uneasiness

Disclaimer: I own nothing _**Captain America**_-related…though I might consider asking _**Marvel**_ to loan him and the rest of the Avengers to me for a while. Until then, only original characters are mine.

AN: Here is where the movie starts to kick in. Of course, since I don't have a script of the film, I can only use what I can remember, and make up the rest as I go (this is fan-fiction, after all). Thus, I am asking that people please not send any flames or complaints about how off I am about the whole thing.

Anyway, please enjoy, and don't forget to review. Thanks!

**Chapter 3: Uneasiness:**

I managed to have Steve all to myself for almost a week before he got a text from Natasha. However, that text had come while he'd been out on his jog, an event that took place before I was even awake, so I wasn't even given the chance to say goodbye to him before he had to leave. At least Natasha had been nice enough to let me know what was going on, before she even contacted Steve.

I was debating what to do with my day when JT alerted me to an incoming text message from Steve. It said that he was sorry for leaving so quickly, and that he loved me and would see me in a few days. Another message followed from Natasha, who said she'd have Steve back to me as quick as she could.

That was always a good sign. Steve tended to try and soften the blow by promising to be home soon, which might or might not happen. Meanwhile, Natasha was straightforward about it –if she said it was a 'short' mission, it would be. Spy and assassin she might be, but Natasha wouldn't lie to me about something like this. Well, at least, I hoped not.

Even though I felt angry and hurt, I pushed those negative feelings aside and resigned myself to some time alone. At least Steve and I hadn't made plans for today –I tended to let out a loud tirade against Fury whenever that happened. It was kind of silly, but it made me feel better when I was done.

Since it'd been a week since my last visit to the veterans' center, I decided to head there today. After grabbing my coat and purse, I took the gift card that Richie had given me, and thought of how excited the kids would be, now that we could really stock up the supply room with art stuff. They'd all wanted to make pictures of their families, but the crayons and colored pencils had run low, and so the project had been delayed. The card was going to change that, for sure.

My trip was short, and soon enough I was at the center. As I'd thought, the child activities director was thrilled with the gift card, and promised to take a few of her helpers to the store as soon as the day was over. "By tomorrow, we'll have everything fully stocked, and the kids can get started on their projects for their families!" she said excitedly, tucking the card away.

Three hours later, I was on my way out when I saw Sam Wilson walking towards me, an unusual spring in his step. "What's got you in such a great mood?" I asked, suddenly suspicious. He only looked this happy when he had gotten a girl's phone number and a promise of a date that night. Well, that, or he'd just eaten the last of the sweet treats I'd brought.

"You'll never guess what happened to me today, Dee. I met the great Captain America himself this morning," he bragged, smirking. "Right before this redhead in a cool car picked him up, too. I guess he's got someplace important to be today."

Yes, he did, but I wasn't about to tell Sam that. "So, you finally met your hero," I teased, even though I was upset that Sam had seen Steve when I hadn't even seen him today. "What do you think of him?"

"Nice guy," Sam said, leaning against the wall. "I know I wouldn't mind hanging out with him, even if he runs more miles in half an hour than I do during my entire morning work out." He grinned. "He does seem a bit like a Boy Scout, but I'll forgive that."

That's pretty much what a lot of people, including our friends among the Avengers, said, so I let that go. "Sounds like you approve of him," I replied, hiding a grin. "Are you going to try and form a bro-mance with the guy?"

Sam grinned broadly and pretended to think about it. "That does sound interesting, but I couldn't handle the paparazzi and attention. I guess I'll have to stick with my day job."

I had to laugh as he slung an arm around my shoulders for a quick hug before letting me go my way.

* * *

Two days later, I was returning from a grocery run when I saw Richie leaving his apartment. His back was to me, so he didn't notice I was there until I said, 'hello.' It was the one time I'd surprised him, as during our previous encounters, we had always seen the other coming or going.

Caught off-guard, he jumped and turned, eyes darting everywhere as though he expected criminals to pop out of the woodwork. His right hand also briefly darted towards his right side before dropping away. The sight was familiar, and I recognized it immediately –they were the same moves that Natasha pulled whenever she thought danger was nearby.

Then it clicked: someone had sent Richie here to keep an eye on me and Steve. Richie probably wasn't an assassin –they tended to act fast, and get out fast. No, he had to be from a government agency. But why now? We'd never needed protection before; or at least, not on this level.

As tempting as it was, I decided not to blow his cover. Instead, I smiled and nodded at him as I headed into my apartment. To my complete shock, Steve was seated at the dining room table –and even more surprising, he did not look happy.

"What are you doing home?" I asked, incredulous as I shut the door and put the groceries on the kitchen counter.

My surprise went up a notch as Steve came to put his arms around me. I felt him bury his nose in my hair, and heard him take a deep breath as he inhaled the scent of my shampoo. That was a bad sign –Steve only acted like this when one of his missions had gone wrong.

"What happened?" I whispered, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He sighed, but didn't move. I felt his nose nuzzling my ear, and heard him whisper, "I learned something, and I don't like it."

That made me nervous. "Are you allowed to tell me what it is?" I asked, keeping my voice soft.

"I doubt it," he quietly admitted, "But tonight, I want to go out, if only to take my mind off of it for a while." There was a hesitation that followed, and I knew that, if he needed to, he would tell me what was troubling him so much.

"Let's go out, then," I said, pulling back just enough to press a kiss to his lips. "Ten minutes?"

Steve gave me a somewhat forced smile, but there was enough relief there to convince me that he was beginning to feel normal again. "Perfect."

* * *

Whenever something bothered him, only two things always cleared Steve's head: a long walk, and being with Adena. Combining the two helped him even more, especially when he could open up to her about his troubles.

This last mission had started as usual: Steve, Natasha Romanoff, and their STRIKE rescue team had been sent on an aircraft to rescue a science vessel seized by mercenaries. The ship had numerous hostages aboard, a few of them SHIELD agents. Steve had had no idea why agents would be aboard, but they were in trouble, and since Fury had deemed it important to get them out, that's what he would do.

On the flight, after the briefing, Natasha had tried to lighten the mood by asking him how life was going. "Married life agrees with you," she teased. He had to grin, as it was the same thing she often said to Adena. "I've got some time off coming up. Do you two have any plans on Saturday?"

Steve threw a glare at her as he put on his helmet and checked his shield. She knew full well that this weekend was one of the many anniversaries that he and Adena celebrated throughout the year –this included the day they'd met; the day they had started dating; and their wedding anniversary. As it was, Steve was hard-pressed to find a gift that he thought his wife might like.

"You know, if you ask Tony about gift ideas, he'll probably help you out," she suggested. "Of course, he'll probably tease you about it for a while, if you do."

"That's why I don't ask," he replied, heading towards the opening hatch of the aircraft.

Natasha smirked. "Too shy; or too scared of getting teased?" she called.

"Too busy," Steve called back, right before he jumped out of the plane.

* * *

"Wait," Adena said, holding up a hand to pause his story. "Were you even wearing a parachute?"

He blushed in the fading sunlight of dusk. "No; no, I wasn't."

A hand reached out and smacked him in the arm. "You _promised_ you'd be careful out there!" she scolded him. "Now you tell me that you jump out of planes without a chute! I don't even _want_ to know what other idiotic things Natasha lets you get away with when you guys are out in the field."

Catching her hand, Steve gave it an affectionate squeeze and led her down a more secluded park trail. It was well-lit, and there were often security officers walking the area, but right now, it was just the two of them.

Sighing, Adena quietly whispered, "Silly as it seems, I honestly had forgotten that one of our anniversaries was coming up. Things have been so busy, it slipped my mind. When I did think about it, I fully expected you to be out on some mission or other."

He squeezed her hand and tucked it securely in the crook of his elbow. "I won't let Fury send me out, if he asks," Steve firmly told her. "I told him which days I need off, and he marked those down himself, so that he wouldn't forget."

He felt his heart lift as she gave him a warm smile. "That's sweet. But if you are needed, you know you have to go, right?"

No, he wouldn't do that to her. The only thing that would tear him away from Adena's side during an anniversary date was the end of the world –end of story. He didn't tell her, though, but let her assume that he agreed with her.

Heading further into the park, Steve continued with what had happened.

* * *

For the most part, the mission had gone as planned. He and Natasha, along with their team, had gotten aboard the ship and began securing the safety of the hostages. Things had been going well, with only a few bumps along the way, including a one-on-one fight Steve had been forced to partake in with the lead mercenary. Steve had won, of course, but he hadn't been happy when Natasha didn't respond to his constant calls to her.

In the end, he'd found her extracting data from a computer console, something that he had not been briefed on by Fury. Natasha had given him a somewhat apologetic look as she worked, but refused to answer his questions, only giving him the usual vague answers a SHIELD agent always did.

It was during their little war-of-words that they had been surprised by Steve's fighting opponent, who had almost turned them into hamburger with a grenade. Thankfully, they were able to deal with the situation, and had come out of the mission alive, with all hostages safe and the ship's data secured.

But in spite of Natasha's attempts to persuade him to forget what he had seen, Steve still had a lot of questions for the man he had taken his orders from.

* * *

Obviously, Fury had been frustrated and angered at Steve's demand for answers, but in the end, he had taken him into the depths of the Triskelion, where an astounding sight met Steve's eyes.

Three humongous Helicarriers, similar to the one he had met the other Avengers on, sat docked in the underground caverns. Fury gave him a quick run-through of the airships' abilities, even commenting on how the engines had been modified according to recommendations by Tony Stark.

But what really angered Steve was the number of guns attached to the hull. That much weaponry could only mean something bad, and he dreaded what they were there for.

Fury then explained the full purpose behind the Helicarriers. These Carriers were part of something called Project Insight, and these three enormous crafts had been build to preemptively strike down SHIELD's enemies and eliminate threats.

Steve felt his stomach drop. He had always felt that punishments should come after a crime had been committed, not before. People were innocent until proven guilty, but it seemed that SHIELD was taking a different approach.

"This isn't freedom," he flatly told the other man. "This is fear. People can't expect to live like this."

Fury turned his lone eye in Steve's direction. "SHIELD takes the world as it is, not as we'd like it to be. These Carriers will take care of threats before they can do an incalculable amount of damage to people and cities. It's the way of the world now, Cap. It's time you learned to accept that."

Steve returned his look with one of his own. "Don't hold your breath," he coldly replied before stalking out of the underground area.

* * *

After his meeting with Fury, Steve had gone on a long bike ride, trying his best to clear the anger and negative thoughts out of his head before going home to his wife. As much as he wanted to just go back to the apartment and take Adena into his arms, he didn't want to risk taking his emotions out on her. It wouldn't be fair to her, if he did.

After an hour or so, he'd decided to go find a nice little anniversary gift. Heading to the nearest nice jewelry store, he picked out a silver bracelet with a few small topaz stones decorating it, knowing that the stones would look beautiful against Adena's soft skin.

With a few extra hours on his hands, Steve had decided to visit one of the local community centers for war veterans. It was a place he knew that Sam Wilson, an Air Force vet he'd met on a morning jog, worked to help vets struggling to adjust to life back home. He found Sam giving a therapy session to a group of soldiers who all looked as though the world had stomped on them, then left them to recover on their own.

Steve's heart immediately went out to them. He knew about losing friends to battle, though he felt he was better able to cope with the aftermath than most. Maybe that was due to Peggy or Adena being there whenever he'd needed someone to talk or have fun with, or maybe it was part of his personality, he didn't know -but whatever it was, he still felt for his fellow brothers- and sisters-in-arms.

He didn't tell Adena about his trip to the community center –he knew that she volunteered at one, and didn't want to burden her with more tales of wary war heroes and their suffering. Her heart was so big and so warm that he'd hate to break it with more bad news than what he was already telling her. He simply told her that he'd ridden around for hours before coming home to her.

As they left the park and headed for a local Asian restaurant they both loved, he waited to hear what she had to say about the matter. He carefully watched her face as she thought long and hard about what he'd told her.

They entered the restaurant and were promptly escorted to a cozy corner booth, away from the crowds. The owner thought they were a cute couple, and often tried to give them some semblance of 'romantic privacy' whenever they went in to eat.

"In a way, I can see both points of view," she softly told him as she pretended to scan the menu. "The world is a dangerous place. There's war, terrorism, rebel attacks on innocent people, and all sorts of horrible things going on, some of which probably never makes it into the news because there's so much happening. It might not be a bad thing to try and stop some of it before it gets out of control."

She reached out to put a hand on his, stopping his protests. "However, you are right. I don't like the idea of people being shot down with bullets or laser fire from above without facing justice. That's what the justice system was invented for. But with how complicated things are in this world, it sometimes isn't enough. People want revenge on those who cause fear and pain, and the only way they feel they'll get it is if the threat is taken out."

"But it isn't right," Steve insisted, putting on a smile as a server came to get their drink order.

When they were alone again, Adena whispered, "I agree -it isn't right, but things aren't black-and-white, like in the old days. It's more of a gray area. Former enemies are now allies, but everyone has secrets they're harboring. Remember what Tony once said, about secrets having secrets? That's what SHIELD specializes in."

The drinks arrived, quieting their conversation again for a moment, and after their orders were taken, Steve had to breathe deeply as Adena gave him a look filled with sorrow and sympathy.

"I know you don't like secrets, and that you don't trust those who have so many of them," she said, "But I do trust Fury, and I know you do the same."

That had been true, until today. He didn't like what Fury was condoning, and couldn't support it, no matter if Fury asked him to. If it came down to it, Steve would quit SHIELD completely, rather than be part of whatever it was Fury and his agency had planned.

* * *

No matter what I told Steve, I knew that he didn't like what he had learned. He was angry at being led astray by Fury, and even though he didn't mention it, he was likely angry at Natasha for not sharing everything about the mission with him.

I, too, was angry at Natasha had done, but that paled in comparison with Fury's vision for taking out enemies without a judge or jury. Isn't that what America was about?

But the world was a very uneasy place, and a lot of lines had become blurred in recent years. There was so much fear, anger, and the demand for the safety and security of our country from danger. We wanted to be safe, but what cost were we willing to pay for it?

It was starting to make my head ache and spin, so I pushed those depressing thoughts aside in favor of consuming my Korean noodle soup, the hot broth sending soothing steam up my nose and setting my taste buds on fire. Steve laughed as I dove for my ice-cold soda, to try and save those taste-buds. That caused me to glare at him, and in turn, cause him to laugh even harder.

The meal ended on a happier note, as Steve and I walked hand-in-hand back to our apartment, trying to put negativity out of our heads –at least for tonight.

* * *

AN: More up soon! Review?


	4. Hitting the Fan

Disclaimer: I own nothing _**Captain America**_-related…though I might consider asking _**Marvel**_ to loan him and the rest of the Avengers to me for a while. Until then, only original characters are mine.

AN: Here's the next chapter! Please enjoy, and please don't forget to review. Thank you.

**Chapter 4: Hitting the Fan:**

I knew that something was in the air as we headed home from our night out, and it wasn't due to our neighbor Richie telling us we'd left our stereo on, either.

As bumpy as the night had started, it had ended on a fairly good note. During our walk back to our apartment, Steve had produced a beautiful bracelet that he had purchased for me to celebrate one of our anniversaries. It had fit perfectly, and under the night sky, the two of us had shared a warm kiss beside a flowing fountain.

Then we'd gotten inside the building and headed up to our floor. Richie was heading out, dressed in his scrubs with a basket of laundry in his hands. "Hey, Adena," he greeted me with a smile. "Um, did you guys know you left your stereo on? You really should turn off your electronics before you leave."

Steve and I both went on alert as I made sure to put a bright smile on for our neighbor's benefit. "Thanks, Richie. We'll go take care of that now. Gotta watch that carbon footprint, right?"

He chuckled and waved goodbye as he headed down to the laundry room in the basement.

Giving me a pointed look, Steve slowly opened the door and stepped inside first, ready to stand between whatever was in the apartment and me. I slowly and quietly walked behind him, watching him in the dim light as he retrieved his shield from where it stood in its usual spot in a large section of shelving.

Meanwhile, I closed the door behind me and reached inside my purse, quickly locating the small taser that Natasha had given me (a 'housewarming gift' when Steve and I had first arrived in D.C.). There was a can of pepper spray as well, and a pull-out baton, but I wanted to save those, just in case.

I held my breath as Steve peeked around a corner and froze. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, reaching for the light switch before drawing his hand back, keeping the room dark.

"My wife threw me out," replied a familiar voice replied, his tone low. "I thought you could put me up for a few days."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Nick," Steve said, looking over his shoulder at me.

As soon as he said our "guest's" name, I looked around my husband to see for myself who it was. My suspicions were confirmed when I saw Fury's lone eye gazing at me in the dim light coming in from the window. After putting the taser back in my purse, I saw that he was bleeding from numerous cuts that littered his body, and there were several large bruises around his face and neck. He looked like he'd been through hell to try and get here.

When he saw me, he nodded a silent greeting before showing me a message tapped into his phone.

_No names_, the text said. _Ears everywhere_.

I inhaled sharply. Ears were everywhere? Was our apartment bugged? No, JT would have picked up on that –Tony himself had included that in his latest upgrade of my little computer.

Fury began to tap on his phone again. The message he showed us was chilling: _SHIELD compromised_.

The agency was compromised? '_Oh, God, what are we going to do if agents inside SHIELD have been corrupted_?' I felt the fear rising up inside of me as I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.

"Steve!" I cried, just before three shots rang out.

* * *

Immediately, I was pushed behind a corner, Steve putting himself between me and the assassin outside. I heard something heavy hit the ground, and knew it had to be Fury. Whether he was alive or not was something I wanted to check, but didn't dare, not if our assailant was still out there.

"He's gone," Steve said a moment later, stepping up to the window, shield raised as he looked out. "Adena, check Fury."

I felt as though my heart were in two places: in my chest, beating like crazy, and in my throat. Swallowing hard, I steeled myself and looked cautiously around the corner. There he was, face down on the floor, with three holes in his back, matching the ones punched through the other wall. And he was bleeding.

Looking around, I found the stack of ugly pea-green-and-brown cloth napkins that Tony had sent us as a gag gift for our housewarming. Steve and I had never used them, and intended to toss them out after getting them. Lucky for the Director, we hadn't.

I quickly began applying the cloth to Fury's wounds, trying to stop the bleeding as best I could. The smell of blood made me gag for a moment, but I pushed that aside as I tried to help.

"Adena," Fury whispered, catching me by surprise. I'd thought he'd be unconscious at this point.

Rolling onto his side, one of his hands took mine while the other offered me something that flashed silver in the moonlight. I took the offered object, and saw it was a flash drive. "Trust no one," Fury whispered as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Heart pounding, I put the drive into a pocket inside my jacket and zipped it up, keeping it safe and secure. That done, I tried once more to focus on the task at hand: saving Fury.

The sound of the front door being kicked in caused me to turn. In the doorway was Richie, a gun in his hand and a cool, determined look on his face. "Captain Rogers? Mrs. Rogers?" he said, looking around carefully until he saw me on the floor. "Damn it."

Rushing to kneel beside me, Richie gently pushed me aside as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. "This is Agent Cooper. Foxtrot is down! I repeat: Foxtrot is down! Send backup and medics ASAP!"

"_Agent_ Cooper?" Steve asked, clearly surprised and furious. "Who sent you to spy on us?"

Just when I thought I'd used up all my surprise for the day, Richie nodded to Fury's unconscious body. "He did. Now, go get the bastard who did this. We'll try and help Fury."

Steve clearly didn't want to go, but I gave him a pleading look. "Go," I said. "We'll be okay."

He gave a nod before racing out the door.

* * *

I don't know how long I sat in silence with Richie before a group of SHIELD agents showed up. Several were medical people who pushed me aside so that they could get to Fury. Seeing that he was no help, Richie gently reached out and pulled me aside. Luckily, my jacket was black leather, so the dried blood on his hands wouldn't show much on the material.

"Adena, we need to wash up," he said, looking at my hands. "You go to the kitchen. I'll use the bathroom, and then I'll take care of everything here."

Nodding, I obediently went to the kitchen and scrubbed my hands raw, getting every trace of Fury's blood off of them. When I finished, I lathered on some fragrant lotion, to get the smell out of my nose. I then carefully looked over my clothes, and saw that there was no sign of blood anywhere else. Thank god for small things.

A pair of large hands came to rest on my shoulders. "Adena," Richie whispered. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" I shook my head. "Good. I need you to come with me to the SHIELD medical facility that they're taking Fury to. I can better protect you there."

I swallowed hard and tried hard not to cry. I'd never seen anyone get shot before. Richie clearly saw that I was upset, and he quickly poured me a cup of water, which he pressed into my hands. "Here; drink this. It'll make you feel a bit more human again."

I rather doubted that, but did as he asked. The water was cool and soothing, clearing my head and settling gently in my belly. '_He's right. It does help_.'

"Where's Steve?" I asked. "I won't leave without him."

By now, the room held three other agents, the others having left with Fury as his medical or protection detail. The remaining agents quietly conversed with each other, clearly trying to decide on what to do next. Richie decided to save them the trouble.

"We'll wait for Captain Rogers to return before heading to the medical facility," Richie said, giving them a firm look. From the way they deferred to him, Richie was clearly the senior agent.

"So," I whispered, "You're a SHIELD agent. Why did Fury send you to keep an eye on us?"

He gave me his usual friendly smile, the same one he had given me every time we'd bumped into each other in the hallway. "It was mostly for your benefit, actually. Fury was worried something might happen to you while Captain Rogers was away, so he sent me to keep you safe."

The smile became a grin. "He also thought that Captain Rogers could use a bit of protecting as well, but from what I've seen, I rather doubt it."

I managed a weak smile. "Yeah, Steve is pretty great."

A sound from the hall caused the other agents to draw their weapons as Richie took a step in front of me, a position I was used to seeing Steve take, but didn't like seeing another man shift into.

"Adena?" Steve's voice called from the hall. "Adena, are you there?"

Sighing in relief, I set my empty glass aside and ran to my husband's strong, comforting arms. "Did you get him?" I whispered into his ear.

He shook his head. "He got away. How's Fury?"

"I need to take the both of you to the facility where they'll be treating him," Richie declared. "Come with me."

* * *

Steve had never liked Richie, and he liked him even less now that he knew what the man's purpose was. Fury had sent the man to watch over him and Adena, and that did not make Steve very happy. It was as though Fury hadn't thought him capable of protecting his own wife, and he found that insulting.

But then, he hadn't protected her very well tonight, had he? She'd almost gotten shot and killed by that masked assassin, and then he'd left her alone with a single agent while Steve had madly pursued that same assassin to a building rooftop. Worse, the assassin had proved himself a worthy opponent, thanks in part to the metal arm that had so adeptly caught Steve's shield –a feat that few, if any, had accomplished in the past. And when he had flung that same shield back at him, Steve knew that this particular assassin was going to cause a lot more trouble in the near future.

Gathering himself back together, Steve had headed back to the apartment, relieved that Adena was still there and waiting for him. She'd thrown herself into his arms, a move that he heartily welcomed. It was good to know that she needed him as much as he needed her right now.

Their reunion had been cut short when Agent Cooper had informed them of their need to get to Fury, to see if the head of SHIELD could recover from his wounds. Steve hadn't liked it, but it would get Adena out of their trashed, blood-stained apartment for a while. Hopefully, he'd be able to sneak back and put a few things in order before he brought her home.

To his annoyance, Agent Cooper seemed to be on the same line of thought. "We'll have a few agents stay behind and right the place, after they've collected whatever evidence they can. It should be back to normal when you return."

Steve had wanted to protest, but decided to stay quiet. There were more important things to worry about than the state of the apartment.

The ride to the hospital was quiet. Steve sat with his arms around Adena's waist while her head rested on his shoulder. He could sense her worry and her fear, and immediately hugged her close as Agent Cooper looked out the window, eyes everywhere as their driver dodged through traffic.

They reached the facility in good time, and arrived just as the doctors were beginning their operation on Fury's unconscious form. Natasha stood at the observation window, along with Agent Maria Hill. Steve didn't know much about Hill, but Natasha seemed to respect and trust her.

"Tasha," Adena whispered, getting her friend's attention.

Steve could swear that he saw a look of sadness and compassion in the other woman's eyes, but it disappeared quickly as she reached out to envelope his wife in a tight hug.

"Hey," Natasha whispered back. "How are you holding up? You've had a big night, from what I hear."

Adena nodded and pulled back a little. "I've never seen someone get shot before." She swallowed. "Well, I didn't actually see him get shot, but you know…"

Natasha just hugged her again. "I know. You'll be okay –after all, you've got Steve to help you."

Steve felt a tiny bit of tension leave him as Adena gave a small, watery chuckle. "That's true. I've got you, Cap," she said, looking over at him with a fond expression.

He smiled back at her. "Of course you do," he softly replied, moving to pull her into a hug. The shield on his back was a bit cumbersome, but he ignored it in favor of holding Adena.

A quick minute passed before he heard someone clearing her throat. He realized it was Agent Hill, and she was gazing at them rather coolly. "I apologize, but I would like to know if any of you can give a description of the attacker."

Pulling away from Adena, Steve wanted to say something rather rude, but his wife shook her head at him. "I never got a good look, but Steve did," she replied while looking up at him, clearly expecting him to tell Agent Hill what he knew.

Knowing that he had to help, he put his anger in check and mentally got himself ready to make a report. "He wore a mask, so I never saw his face. But he was fast –really fast. And strong –he had a metal or mechanical arm of some kind. And he's an incredibly good shot."

Natasha seemed to go a bit pale, though her eyes kept looking through the window at the man who had recruited her into SHIELD. Steve could tell that she knew who he was talking about. "You know who he is, don't you?" he demanded, reaching out and grabbing her arm, forcing her to look at him.

She gave her arm a quick twist, freeing herself from his grip. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself before saying, "Most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists. Those who do, call him The Winter Soldier. He's like a ghost: you'll never catch him."

Adena eyed her closely. "But you've seen him, haven't you? You know something about him."

The glance Natasha gave her had a gleam of respect. "I've encountered him once. It wasn't something I'd like to remember. Maybe, someday, I'll tell you about it."

Just then, they heard the sound of a monitor indicating that Fury's heartbeat was slowing. A look of panic seized Adena's face, and Steve immediately reached out and pulled her close as the doctors tried to save their patient.

* * *

I don't know how it happened, but it did. One minute, things were going well, and the next, the doctors were calling out the time of death.

All I could do was stand in shock as the still body of Director Nick Fury was wheeled out of the operating room, straight to the morgue. A voice in my head was crying out that Nick Fury was dead, even as I watched Natasha try to hold back tears. I'd always thought nothing could faze her, but this did. Fury had been good to her, and how her friend and mentor was gone.

It wasn't long before a doctor came to give his condolences, and to ask if we wanted to see the body. We all agreed, and trailed solemnly behind him as we made our way down to the morgue. There, we were left alone, all of us silently paying our respects to the man who had done so much for all of us, even when we didn't know it.

Swallowing down my own tears, I felt Steve put an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close as we watched Natasha place a gentle hand on her mentor's head. It was an affectionate gesture, a glimpse of a side of her that very few got to see. I guess being around me and Steve had made her go a bit soft.

"I've got to take him," whispered Agent Hill. I'd met her only a handful of times, but I knew that Fury had considered her one of his best agents.

I nodded before going to put an arm around Natasha, who looked at me with eyes that seemed lost and confused. I understood how she felt –being the stubborn, determined, and resourceful man that he had been, it had seemed that Fury would outlive us all.

"Captain Rogers?" called a man from the hallway, getting all of our attention. I saw it was a man in military gear, and that he had the air of someone who had seen a thousand fights and still come out on top. "Sir, I'm here to take you to the Triskelion. Alexander Pierce would like a word with you."

Steve did not look happy to leave me, especially at a sad time. "Can't it wait? We're dealing with a significant loss to us."

The man only seemed vaguely sympathetic to our situation. "I understand, sir, but I have orders; as do you. I need you to come with me."

For a second, I thought Steve was going to take a swing at him, so I put a hand on his arm and rose up on my toes so that I could talk to him without being overheard. "It's okay," I whispered. "You go. Natasha can look after me."

"After what I saw her do on our last mission, I'm not sure if I trust her," he softly replied, eyes still fixed on the man standing in the doorway.

"We have to," I whispered back urgently. "Fury gave me something after he was shot, and Natasha is the only one I trust with it." I pressed a kiss to his cheek. "It'll be okay. I'll be fine with her."

Since he wasn't being given a choice, Steve grudgingly nodded. "Alright; I'll meet up with you later, as soon as I'm done. I'll call you before I get on the road back." I noticed that he didn't say _where_ he'd meet us, but I had a feeling Natasha would manage something.

After he was gone, Natasha pulled me out of the morgue and into a quiet hallway. "I need to get you someplace safe," she whispered, eyes alert to everything around us. "With Fury gone and Steve off at that meeting, there's no one left to keep an eye on you."

"Our neighbor's a SHIELD agent; he was keeping an eye on us, on Fury's orders," I replied. She gave me a look. "I figured he was an agent after he barged in and told us. His name is Richard Cooper."

She relaxed a little. "Richie? Good guy, even better agent. He's physically built like the good Captain, but his mind's a SHIELD agent through-and-through. I'll give him a call and have him meet us outside so that he can get you out of here."

My heart sank. "I'm not going home?" That was where I wanted to be right now, even if those SHIELD agents hadn't fixed it up yet.

She shook her head. "Too dangerous. We don't know the motives behind the attack on Fury, and his assassin now knows the location of your apartment. I'm going to have Richie take you to a safe house off the grid. No one will know where you are except me and Richie –and Steve," she added, when she saw me open my mouth. "Let me make a few calls to get you settled."

Sighing, I reached inside my coat and pulled out the flash drive, as well as a pack of gum I always kept in that pocket. Keeping the gum on top of the drive, I said, "Here, you might need this, in case you end up having a long night."

Natasha accepted my gift with a smile. "Thanks." Her hand quickly tucked it into her own breast pocket. "Now, let's get you someplace safe."

* * *

AN: Review?


	5. Twists and Turns

Disclaimer: I own nothing _**Captain America**_-related…though I might consider asking _**Marvel**_ to loan him and the rest of the Avengers to me for a while. Until then, only original characters are mine.

AN: More fun from the film. I found some quotes, which helped, with some stuff that I remembered and plot summaries I found online. Anyway, enjoy, and please don't forget to review!

**Chapter 5: Twists and Turns:**

Clutching his arm, Steve tried to keep his face hidden within the confines of his hood. He had taken the raggedy black sweatshirt from a donation bin in front of a school not far off from the Triskelion. Luckily, school was out for the day, so no one had seen him snatch the pants, shirt, and a badly fraying blanket, which he used to cover his shield. To everyone around him, he simply looked like the average man with a pack or round bag on his back.

'_This really isn't a good day for me_,' he silently complained as he made his way down the street. More than once, he'd had to change routes, to avoid the police and people he suspected worked for SHIELD.

He'd thought he had been through the worst when Nick Fury had died on the operating table. When Alexander Pierce had called him in, Steve had assumed it was so he could debrief him on what had happened with Fury.

That assumption had almost gotten him killed.

Rather than talk about the tragic loss of SHIELD's director, Pierce had asked Steve to assist him in 'building a new world,' using the Helicarriers that had been constructed in the name of keeping the public safe. Even as Pierce attempted to persuade him to help him "save the world one more time," Steve had instinctively known that something was wrong.

And when Pierce had asked if Fury had said or done anything in the moments before he'd been shot, Steve's gut feeling had proven right. Already, his mind had begun thinking of how to get out of the building alive, even as Pierce allowed him to exit his office and head back to the ground floor.

The attack in the elevator wasn't a surprise –or at least, not much of one. Steve's suspicions had gone up as soon as more than three people got in with him; he'd never had more than two or three people get in an elevator with him, not in all the time he'd served with SHIELD. So, of course, he'd braced himself for what he knew was coming.

It was a hard fight, and not just because some of the men were stronger than those Steve was used to facing. No, what was hard was that a few of the agents sent to take him out had been part of the STRIKE teams he'd led on missions, and he had thought them to at least be comrades-in-arms. Apparently, they felt otherwise.

After defeating his opponents, escaping from the Triskelion was a difficult matter. With hundreds of SHIELD agents now on orders to take him down, Steve did something he knew Adena would lecture him for as soon as she found out about it: he leapt through a window, ten stories up, without much to protect him except his shield.

The fall's impact had been absorbed by the vibranium, but it still hurt like hell, as the fall left many bumps and bruises that he knew he'd feel later. In spite of that, Steve managed to pull himself together and get out before any of the confused and stunned agents around him managed to get their own bearings and tried to arrest him.

But even after all that, he still had to get past the barriers at the Triskelion's front gates. It had taken a lot of the new fighting skills to take out the jet sent to shoot him down, and get out in one piece. He'd have to remember to thank his gymnastics instructor later, if he survived this whole mess.

Once he was out of range of SHIELD's headquarters, Steve had gone on a search for clothing that he could procure without drawing attention. That's when he'd come by that school with its donation bins, some of which were full to overflowing. It hadn't been easy finding items that would fit, but after a bit of digging, he'd found more than he thought he'd need.

Now, aching from his fights to escape, Steve was desperate to get back to his wife. Since he was currently labeled a traitor by SHIELD, he knew that he had a target on his back. And if he was a target, Adena would likely be, too.

'_Natasha has her hidden_,' Steve reasoned to himself as he headed back to his apartment. '_Unlike me, she's safe, for now_.'

It was stupid of him to try and go home, but he had no real choice. There were several prized possessions there that he wanted to retrieve, in case they couldn't go back, and he didn't like the idea of agents going through his or Adena's things.

And if there were agents there, he could take care of them, even hurt as he was.

* * *

"I was wondering when you'd show up," Natasha's voice greeted him from the living room.

Steve had thought he was ready for anything, but this wasn't it. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Where's Adena? Don't tell me you brought her along!"

She rolled her eyes and got up from the sofa. "Don't be an idiot, Rogers. She's safe; I've got a trusted agent keeping an eye on her." Reaching into a pocket, Natasha pulled out a small bag and tossed it to him. "And you're welcome."

Inside the bag were nearly a dozen listening devices. So Fury and Pierce had been telling the truth: SHIELD had been listening in on him and Adena. The thought of someone invading their privacy angered him all over again.

"Don't worry; no one got any info from here," Natasha flatly told him. "Fury had ordered this place bugged, but I think the ones he had planted were all duds. Not one of them had any sort of tech in them –they're all empty casings."

Looking, he saw she was right. "I also took care of the agents sitting outside," Natasha continued. "Didn't kill them, just knocked them out. I got here just after the cleaning crew was done, but before the agents assigned to guard duty planted live devices."

She eyed him closely. "I thought you might come back for something. Glad I was right about that."

Steve was, too. "I wanted to grab some things that I knew Adena would want, in case…"

"In case you guys can't come back." Natasha was too quick for her own good.

Sighing, Steve went to the bedroom and began packing up. Into a travel bag went Adena's jewelry box; the picture frame Bruce Banner had given them on their wedding day; travel-sized toiletries (gifts from Tony, from hotels he'd stayed at); and some extra clothes for them both. He also fished out the spare cash he kept hidden under his sock drawer, just in case of an emergency.

While he did this, Natasha stood in the doorway and watched. As he worked, she had popped a piece of gum into her mouth, and was keeping herself busy by blowing bubbles and popping them.

"I'm going to have a friend keep an eye on the apartment while you guys are out," Natasha said. "That way, SHIELD can't try and worm its way back in and plant real bugs."

Steve reluctantly agreed. "Well, I'm done. Let's get going."

* * *

It wasn't until he was in Natasha's car that Steve realized he had no idea where Adena was, and no clue where they were going.

Natasha answered both questions by simply stopping at an isolated parking area in a public park. Once the car was stopped, she picked up the bags that Steve had put together, and dropped them on the ground outside. A man with a hat pulled over his face approached, took the bags, and walked off without a word. Steve made to get out and follow, but Natasha stopped him.

"It's okay," she softly told him as she shifted the car and headed towards the highway. "Adena's safe, and she'll get the bags. Right now, you and I need to find out what's on this."

She showed him what Adena called a 'flash drive'. "Adena gave it to me. Apparently Fury gave it to her, and I figure that if it got him killed, it's got to be worth looking at."

Steve gripped the handle in the armrest beside him. "So where are we going?" He wanted to find Adena, but he also knew that if she had given the drive to Natasha, it had to be important

Natasha merely smiled. "Shopping, of course."

* * *

Much to his relief, she hadn't been serious –well, not literally. When the car had pulled up to the mall, Steve had been ready to let the redhead have a piece of his mind, but she merely chuckled and told him they were here to use a display laptop inside one of the computer stores.

"We've got to be careful with this. SHIELD always puts high-level tracking software on their drives," Natasha quietly explained as they headed inside, Steve hidden behind his usual disguise of glasses and a baseball cap and her with her hood up. "It'll take minutes for them to locate us."

In no time, they were at a computer, and Natasha had plugged the drive into one of the laptops sitting on the countertops. As she was typing, Steve muttered for her to hurry up. The last thing they needed was to get caught here by agents searching for them.

"I'm working as fast as I can," she retorted. "The person who wrote this program was smarter than me –but only slightly. It's also rewriting itself, which only makes it more complicated. As of now, we've got about seven minutes before they get to us here."

Steve didn't trust that timetable, and instead kept a lookout. His watch was interrupted by one of the sales clerks approaching, asking if he could help with anything. Steve almost choked when Natasha turned and fed him a false story about them being engaged and looking for a place to honeymoon.

"Oh, where are you guys thinking about heading?" the clerk asked.

Out of the corner of his eye, Steve watched the locating program on the computer hone in on a place in New Jersey. "Uh, New Jersey," he replied, trying to keep the laptop out of the man's view.

"Nice," the clerk replied with a friendly smile. "Well, have a good one."

Heaving a sigh of relief, Steve was surprised at the location that the program stopped at. Natasha noticed his expression. "What is it? Do you recognize it?" she asked, clearly intrigued.

"I used to," he muttered. "Come on; let's go." Steve swiftly removed the drive from the computer and led her outside.

Not more than two minutes later, Steve was shocked when Natasha leaned over and whispered for him to hurry up and put his arm around her, while pretending to laugh at something she said. Realizing that it was an act to throw off their followers, Steve did as she asked, silently praying that Adena never found out about this. He didn't know if she'd laugh, or punch him.

Once they'd made it past one of the agents, Natasha steered him to the escalators. On the ride down, Natasha spotted Agent Rumlow, one of the men from Steve's team. "Kiss me," she whispered.

He stared, not sure if he'd heard right. "What?"

"Public displays of affection make people uncomfortable," she deadpanned, as though it should have been obvious to him.

"Yes, they do," he muttered, right before she reached up and pressed her lips to his. As Rumlow turned away and continued on up to the next floor, Steve silently prayed that if his wife ever found out about this, she wouldn't kill him, or Natasha.

The danger passed, Steve pulled hastily back as Natasha grinned up at him. "Don't worry; I won't tell her, if you won't."

"No fear about that," he grumbled as they headed out of the mall.

* * *

"So, where did Captain America learn to steal a car?" she asked as they headed up to New Jersey.

"Nazi Germany," he replied. "And we're giving it back, so get your feet off the dash."

She obeyed while rolling her eyes. "You know, I had no idea you were such a good kisser. Adena must keep you in good practice."

Steve refused to dignify that with an answer. Instead, he asked, "So, what made you think to find me at my place?"

She shrugged. "I told Richard Cooper that you might go back. I'm glad I was right about that, otherwise I'd have had a hell of a time finding you."

He was confused. "How is Agent Cooper involved in this?"

She smirked and pulled out a candy bar from her pocket. "He's the one who's watching over Adena."

Steve almost hit the brakes. "_What_? What do you mean he's watching Adena?"

Natasha simply shrugged and took a bite out of the bar. "Well, I had to have someone I trusted keep an eye on her. Anyway, Cooper has a lot of friends in SHIELD, a couple of whom warned him that you were now branded a traitor. As soon as he found out, he called me. We figured you'd go back for some necessary items for you and Adena, and thought you could use some help, too, with whatever crazy plan you might have."

His grip on the wheel tightened considerably. "I don't like the idea of him keeping an eye on her."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that his traveling companion was amused, and slightly irritated. "Don't be an idiot, Rogers. Richie's a nice guy, a good agent, and he genuinely cares about what could happen to Adena. That's why I asked him to keep her safe."

"I still don't like it," Steve growled. "I don't like how friendly he is with her."

Natasha continued to eat her candy. "Well, of course he's friendly. He's got a crush on her."

This time, Steve _did_ hit the breaks, almost causing the candy bar to go straight up Natasha's nose as she lurched forward. "_What_?" he yelled, abruptly pulling the truck off the road.

Somehow, the candy bar had stayed in Natasha's hand during the hard stop. "Jeez, Rogers, cool it!" she snapped, loosening her death-grip on the candy. "Yes, Richie has a crush on Adena, but he's not going to do anything about it! Besides, it's just a tiny crush; he'll get over it in no time, so relax."

No, Steve would _not_ relax. His wife was with a SHIELD agent who liked her, and he was the one protecting Adena, rather than Steve. It was Steve's job to protect her, damn it! He was going to turn this truck around right now, go find them, then make Richard Cooper regret ever laying eyes on Steve's wife.

"Don't even think about it," Natasha warned. "She is safe, Richie is going to be keeping his emotions in check, and we are going to find out what's in New Jersey. Do you understand? If you want to keep Adena safe, as well as the rest of the world, we need to keep going forward."

Growling under his breath, Steve shifted the truck into another gear and hit the gas. The sooner they got this done, the sooner he could get back to Adena.

* * *

The safe house was actually a modest condo, and not what I expected –though to be honest, I hadn't known what to expect in the first place, least of all from Natasha and her personal tastes.

To give her credit, the place wasn't too bad. It was dusty, sure, but at least there were the most basic pieces of furniture in all the rooms, all of it covered in dust sheets or clear plastic covers. The living room had a couch, television, coffee table, and a couple lamps; in the dining room was a four-person dinner table with chairs; the kitchen had pots and pans and all the appliances that worked; the two bedrooms (each with their own bathrooms), had a bed, a bedside table with a lamp, and a small closet.

Miraculously, we had electricity, but no phone. I had JT, who could connect me to Steve on a secure line no matter where he was, but I didn't want to risk bothering him while he was at SHIELD headquarters. That was another reason why I had hated his missions: we weren't allowed to contact one another, in case someone might trace the call back to one of us.

Beside me, Richie was eying me closely. Since he'd been the one to bring Steve and me to the hospital, he'd already been close by when Natasha got the brilliant idea to ask him to continue being my protective detail. I hadn't been happy about her choice, since I knew Steve would be mad about it in the first place, but if Natasha trusted him, then I decided I would, too.

So, not long after Steve had left, Richie had smuggled me out a side exit to the parking lot. There, he hailed a cab, which I found odd, but I guess he didn't want anyone following us. After riding around for a while, we got out, walked a short distance, then hailed another cab –a process we repeated several times before arriving at Natasha's hideout an hour after we'd left the hospital.

Richie had apologized for the precautions, but I'd quickly assured him that it was okay, and that I understood. The one thing that did irk me was when he insisted on searching the house for emergency exits, and to make sure that no one else was here, hiding.

"For goodness sake, Richie, I'm not the wife of the President or a Prime Minister!" I huffed as he searched the kitchen for a second time. "Seriously; enough with the over-protectiveness already!"

Chastised, Richie had backed down and let me turn on the television, though he insisted that I keep the volume low, so that he could keep his ears open for possible intruders. I'd rolled my eyes, but did as he asked, if only because, after thinking about it, I realized he was probably right.

An hour of TV later, I got bored and decided to explore the condo. It was nice, roomy enough for maybe two or three people to live comfortably together, but no more. Besides the furniture and electricity, Richie had discovered that the water worked, as did the water heater, so if I wanted to, I could bathe or shower.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much of anything to eat or drink. Richie found some kind of rations in a cupboard, and a few dusty bottles of water, but that was it. All of the closets and shelves were empty of any kind of contents, save for a few emergency first-aid kits, which were fully stocked with the best medical tools and medicines. Lucky for us, the mattresses had plastic dust sheets covering them, and there were sets of sheets for the beds in the bedroom closets, new and also wrapped in plastic. Part of me was happy that we would be able to use the beds, if we wanted to.

After our exploration of the place, Richie decided that it was okay for him to briefly go out and get something for us to eat, and possibly clean the place. "I have to admit, it's not too bad," he said, trying to cheer me up. "Some safe-houses are in much worse condition than this. We'll have to clear the dust from everything, so that our foot- and fingerprints won't stand out, but other than that, not too shabby."

There was a store five minutes away, so he'd only be gone for a short time. While he was gone, I kept the doors and windows locked, and held tight to my pepper spray and taser, eyes and ears open until he got back. When he did, I noticed that most of what he'd bought consisted of canned or frozen goods, things that would keep for long periods of time, in case Natasha had to use the space again. There were also a few cleaning supplies, like dust rags, a floor mop, and some cleaning solutions.

We each had a quick meal of heated up canned soup before rolling up our sleeves to clean the place as best we could. After we finished, we ate again, and by then, I was exhausted. That was when I realized I'd been up for more than twenty-four hours. When he saw how tired I was, Richie told me to lie down on the couch and rest for a bit. I barely had time to curl up and lay my head down before I fell asleep.

When I woke up, Richie was there, sitting beside two duffle bags that looked familiar. "Are those mine?" I asked, reaching for them even as Richie passed one into my hands.

"Yup," he replied. "I got a call from Romanoff a while ago. She met up with Captain Rogers at your apartment. They dropped these off for you at a local park, and I brought them both here."

"You've seen Steve?" I asked wistfully. "Is he here? Did he come back with you?"

Richie shook his head. "They stopped just long enough to drop off the bags, then headed off. I'm sorry, I didn't get the chance to talk to them." He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "A follow-up text from Romanoff said that the two of them are off on some sort of mission or another. I don't know when they'll be back."

It took a little while for me to swallow down my disappointment. I wanted Steve here with me, to hold me and tell me that everything would be alright; that _he_ was alright. But he was off trying to figure out what was happening, and the only thing that probably kept him going was the fact that I was safe. Steve tended to drive himself a bit crazy when it came to my safety.

Pushing aside my bout of self-pity, I picked up one of the bags and looked inside. There were several pairs of clothes, some for me and some for Steve, which I took that as a good sign. It meant that he intended to meet up with me soon, which got my hopes up again.

There was also my jewelry box (complete with contents); the picture frame that was Bruce Banner's wedding gift to us; a few of my favorite books; and some brand-new travel-sized toiletries, which were another one of Tony's gag gifts, all of them tokens from his worldly travels. To my surprise, there was also a stack of cash, wrapped in a sealed plastic bag.

'_It seems that Steve's been hiding a few things from me_,' I thought, scowling.

"Most people look relieved to find a wad of cash like that," Richie teased. "Why the angry face?"

"I didn't know he had this," I quietly replied, looking down so that he didn't see my hurt expression.

Richie reached out and gently put a hand on my shoulder, drawing my attention. I looked up to see a soft, affectionate look in his eyes. "Lots of people keep secret stashes for emergencies," he gently pointed out. "It's not just agents or people who work for SHIELD –lots of ordinary people do, too. Don't you keep at least a few twenty dollar bills around somewhere, in case you needed it?"

I blushed. "Two or three twenty dollar bills are one thing –this is a lot more than that! What made him think that we'd need this much money?"

"Given the life he leads, he probably wanted to make sure that, if something happened, you both would have something to fall back on." He grinned. "And he _is_ a soldier. Aren't they taught to always be prepared for stuff like this?"

Well, when he put it like that, then yes, it did make sense that Steve would want to have spare money lying around. If we'd had this in New York after the alien attack, and if we hadn't had Fury providing food and goods for us, it'd have made things a lot easier.

The thought of Fury made my eyes tear up. '_He was always so good to me, and to Steve. He didn't deserve to go out like he did_.'

Some people might disagree, and say he should have expected this might happen, but I very much felt that he deserved better.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me close to a very muscular chest.

"Hey," Richie whispered, rubbing my back in his effort to comfort me. "It's okay. I'm sure everything will be okay. Even if it isn't, you have a lot of friends to help keep you safe."

It was the wrong pair of arms and the wrong chest, but I welcomed it. "Thanks, Richie," I whispered. A few minutes passed, and finally, after I felt my sorrows fade a little, I pulled back from his hug. "I think I'll go take a shower, now that I've got some clean clothes to change into."

Grabbing my bag, I headed upstairs, my mind wondering what Steve and Natasha were up to.

* * *

Watching Adena head up the stairs, Richie took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he sat back on the couch, all senses on high alert. Things were starting to get more complicated for him than he liked.

When Natasha had first asked this as a favor, he'd jumped on it. With the launch of the three Helicarriers built for Project Insight, the Triskelion had been like a kicked beehive: busy, loud, and extremely unpleasant for him to be in. If Natasha hadn't asked for him to do this, he'd be there now, lost in the surge of agents and techs getting ready for the big launch.

Of course, he'd had other reasons to be glad about this whole mess. One of them was doing the last job that Fury had given him: keep Adena Rogers safe.

Even though his superior officer was gone, Richie still felt he needed to carry out Fury's final orders. Besides, he liked Adena, and he did _not_ like the idea of something horrible happening to her. He'd kept his distance while Captain Rogers had been around, but now that Rogers was out with Natasha on some sort of secret mission, Richie would have to step into the Captain's place and do whatever he could to protect her.

'_Of course, leaving her alone while getting the supplies and the bags hadn't been the best idea, but what else could I have done? Romanoff clearly doesn't do a great job of keeping her hideouts stocked with anything_.'

Pushing that aside, Richie looked out the window and scowled. Right now, he had a gut feeling that things were going to take a turn for the worst. His instincts as an agent screamed that major events were about to happen, and that he'd better be prepared for the worst –because if the worst happened, he did not want to have to carry out Natasha's backup plan.

"If Rogers and I don't make it back, I need you to take Adena someplace secure," Natasha had flatly told him while Adena had been in the hospital's restroom. "The best person would be Tony Stark or Pepper Potts –they're both good friends with Steve and Adena, and will do everything possible to take care of her. If or when everything goes sideways, call them and deliver her into their hands personally."

She'd also told him that he should not, under any circumstances, tell Adena that Steve had been branded a traitor by SHIELD. The poor girl certainly had enough to worry about, even without knowing the truth.

Hopefully, things wouldn't take that bad turn; but if they did, Richie would do his damn hardest to keep her safe –no matter what it took.

* * *

AN: Longer chapter this time, with more fun to come in the next one! Review?


	6. The Past Meets the Present

Disclaimer: I own nothing _**Captain America**_-related…though I might consider asking _**Marvel**_ to loan him and the rest of the Avengers to me for a while. Until then, only original characters are mine.

AN: So, obviously I can't remember most of what happened in the bunker with Steve, Natasha and that super-computer, but here's my own spin on it. Please enjoy, and don't forget to review. Thanks!

**Chapter 6: The Past Meets the Present:**

Pulling up to the front of his old Army training camp brought back memories Steve thought he'd long buried.

As he and Natasha slipped through the rusted, open gates, it took Steve a few moments to compose himself as he gazed at the familiar surroundings. There sat the barracks, where he'd slept with the others chosen to train for the Army, and unknowingly for the Super Soldier program. He also saw the training area itself, where he'd nearly collapsed from exhaustion after every run-through.

For a moment, he felt as though he were looking through time, watching his old, smaller self, and seeing how that former existence might react to what he had become. So much had changed since then, it was almost unbelievable.

The sudden sensation of a hand on his shoulder brought him back to the present. "Come on, Steve," Natasha whispered. "Let's try and figure out what's so important here that Fury had to die for it."

Looking around, Steve spotted something that was definitely out of place. "That shouldn't be here," he said, walking over to a weapon's storage area. "Regulations state that weaponry had to be stored away from the living quarters, so that no one could be hurt or killed in case of accidents."

Inside, he found the last thing he expected: SHIELD's old headquarters.

All that remained was an insignia on the wall, several rows of empty, dusty tables and chairs, and empty bookcases. It was clear that this had once been a buzzing center of activity –all that was left were the ghosts of its past.

Looking at the wall above the shelves, Steve saw images that made him pause. There hung photos of old familiar faces: Colonel Phillips, his old superior officer; Howard Stark, Tony's father; and Peggy Carter. Preserved in time, Steve looked at the founding members of SHIELD and wondered what they would think of the agency now.

A low whistle caught his ears. Puzzled, he glanced around, wondering where it was coming from. After a small search, he found the source at a set of bookshelves –or rather, behind it. Moving it, he saw it was an elevator shaft.

"Why would you need to hide an elevator behind the shelves of an already secret base?" he asked his partner.

"Only if you're hiding something," Natasha muttered as the headed towards the sliding doors.

Down they went, and when the doors opened again, they stood in a vast room, dimly lit and filled with what looked to be extremely old technology. Even Natasha looked puzzled as she walked through the room, heading for what appeared to be the controls. There, they found the one piece of technology that didn't look as though it were more than forty or fifty years old. It was a device clearly meant for a flash drive to be plugged into.

"Hmm, that looks new," Natasha muttered as she pulled the flash drive from her pockets and slid it into one of the small slots.

Steve braced himself as the computer screens blinked on, and what appeared to be a camera focused on him and Natasha.

"Rogers, Stephen; Captain America," it said in its mechanical voice.

The camera then focused on Natasha. "Romanova, Natalia Alianovna." Like Steve, she jumped at the sound of her full name.

Steve felt a bit ill as a vague human face formed on one of the monitors. "Ah, Captain America," it said, the voice sounding more human than the previous one. But that did little to help the uneasiness twisting inside of his stomach, especially when the more human voice sounded so familiar.

"Who is that?" Natasha softly asked, looking between him and the computer screen.

Memories once again clicked into place as he recognized the owner of the voice. "Arnim Zola," Steve replied with a frown. "A German scientist who worked with Red Skull on the Tesseract."

"Actually, I am Swiss," the voice replied.

"It can't be him, though," Steve said, ignoring the correction. "He's dead. It's got to be a program of some kind."

"Correction, Captain," Zola's voice chimed again, "It is, in fact, me -or rather, my consciousness. And look around you! I've never been more alive! You have Mr. Howard Stark and his little agency to thank for that."

"How did you convince them to do that?" Steve asked, only half caring about the answer. Maybe, if he got the computer going on a track of conversation, it would give them something useful.

"There was no convincing needed," Zola's voice explained, the vague head looking at them with empty eyes. "After I had betrayed the location of Red Skull's main base to your Army, I was imprisoned, allowed no freedoms until the end of the war. Then I was asked to join Mr. Stark's newfound agency, which you now know as SHIELD."

Steve found it hard to believe that Howard would do such a thing, but given Zola's intelligence on HYDRA and scientific genius, he supposed they might have found a use for him.

The camera buzzed as it focused on him. "Indeed, I can see the doubt in you, Captain. But it is the truth." If a computer could sound smug, this one did. "They were so eager for scientists that I was allowed to recruit a group of them myself, all under the pretense that we were assisting the agency in their efforts to keep the world safe."

"But that's not what you did, is it?" Natasha asked, scowling.

"Indeed not," Zola confirmed. "While SHIELD assumed that it had completely destroyed HYDRA, they could not have known that we, in fact, had done what they called impossible: slowly poisoned their own agency from the inside."

Computer files, videos and images began to flash across the screens. "Over the decades, HYDRA has survived your attempts to wipe it from the world. We have merely worked quietly, patiently beneath the surface. Wars and sicknesses, to economic collapse and rebellion in various countries, we sowed chaos by financing and stirring unease throughout the globe, all because of the one thing we had learned about humanity."

The tension in the room rose as Steve felt Natasha stiffen in anger. He knew they both had a touch of fear of what it was that HYDRA had discovered.

"We learned that people will fight for their freedom if you try to take it away from them," Zola intoned. "However, they will willingly surrender it for the sake of security, of protection from the things they fear most."

Feeling ill, Steve knew Zola was right. If you tried to wrestle away something people believed they had a right to, they would fight and die for it. But if they were afraid, people would do anything, would _give_ anything, to stay safe.

"For us to finally achieve world domination, humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. HYDRA has at last created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to secure peace –just as I predicted."

"You predicted this?" Steve asked, showing his doubts.

"It took many years, and just as many difficulties," the computer admitted. "When I was diagnosed with an incurable disease in 1972, SHIELD wished to preserve my genius for future efforts. So I was able to load my consciousness into this massive computer system. It has given me a sort of immortality, as well as a means to complete my work and give HYDRA control of the world, as Red Skull would have done, if you had not interfered."

Steve couldn't hold back his frustrations anymore. Clenching his fingers, he reached out and punched a hole in one of the monitors, shattering the glass with a satisfying crash. Unfortunately, it didn't last, as Zola's image transferred to another screen.

"As I was saying," it continued, "Here in this computer, I was finally able to create an algorithm that could predict the individuals that would most threaten HYDRA and its interests. After I had worked out many of the complications, I tested my theory –namely by eliminating several targets who already tried to do so."

Photos flashed across the remaining two screens, and with each photo, Steve felt his heart sink. Several events were ones that Adena had included in their history lessons together, but the one that caught his attention was the death of Howard Stark and his wife. Steve briefly caught the date on the newspaper headline, and realized that Tony would have been only a teenager when his parents died.

"Now, my algorithm will finally be put to use through a much more efficient means. We will find those who could oppose us, as well as those who refuse to become part of our cause and destroy them." The computer made a very smug pause. "Including your charming wife, Captain."

Time froze, and it took a moment to remember that Zola was already dead; otherwise, Steve would have killed him right then and there. "What do you mean?" he asked, keeping his voice deathly calm. "What do you want with my wife?"

"She is merely an unexpected addition to the elaborate game we are all playing. I had not anticipated a mere girl such as her becoming part of SHIELD's Avengers Initiative, but now that I have calculated the data, well…"

Steve waited for more, but got nothing than what felt like an eternal pause. "Well, what did you come up with?" he insisted, wanting to know.

"Nothing," Zola declared. "Nothing more than a mere admission, to deliberately distract you from the truth about your current situation."

"Steve!" Natasha exclaimed, looking at another computer screen. "We've got incoming! ETA: one minute!"

"Remember the great Hydra of myth: if you cut off one head, two more will grow back," Zola declared as the computer began to power off. "And it appears, Captain, that we are both people out of time."

Not giving into panic, Steve looked around. There had to be somewhere inside this bunker that they could take shelter in, if only to survive whatever was heading their way.

Spotting an iron grate in the floor, Steve raced over, putting his strength into hauling up and out of the way before pulling Natasha in with him.

"It won't be much, but it's better than nothing," he told her as she tried to protest. She nodded and let him pull her close, his shield covering their heads as they waited.

Huddled together, the two only had only seconds to spare as the missiles hit.

* * *

When the dust began to settle, Steve didn't know how much time had passed, but when he managed to get himself together, he quickly took stock.

First, his head hurt like hell. Second, his ears were ringing just as much as his head was aching. He could also feel various aches and pains all over his body, and the sensation of something warm and wet trickling down his head told him that he was injured somewhere on his scalp or face. He didn't think he had any broken bones or sprains, but after a quick movement of each limb, Steve figured he was in relatively good shape.

Natasha wasn't so lucky. She was alive, but she was unconscious, and Steve suspected that she might have a concussion, at the very least. He needed to get her somewhere safe, and soon.

As the dust began to settle, he struggled to worm his way out of the rubble without causing any large debris to fall on either of them. It wasn't easy, but with his shield there and undamaged, he was able to do it, without causing more damage.

Falling back on his military training, he assessed their location, and the situation. The entire bunker was gone, as were most of the surrounding buildings. However, luck was with them: the truck had been parked on the far side of the base, leaving it undamaged.

The problem was getting Natasha to it, and fast.

Steve had no doubt that SHIELD (or rather, HYDRA's operatives hidden within the agency) had people descending onto his location even as he stood there, thinking about it. Whoever had sent the missiles would want proof that he and Natasha were dead, and if they were found alive, they probably wouldn't stay that way for very long. They had to move, fast.

Aching, battered, and exhausted, Steve hauled himself to his feet and managed to throw his shield over his shoulder, to hang on his back. It took a minute to stretch and warm up his muscles, and when he felt ready, he gently slid his arms under Natasha's unconscious form. When she didn't resist, he knew she really was out cold.

It took longer than he liked, getting back to the truck, but he made it. Juggling Natasha was difficult, particularly when he had to open the passenger door and buckle her in, but he managed. By the time they were pulling away from the gates, he could hear helicopters approaching the demolished base.

In the gathering darkness of night, Steve silently congratulated himself on grabbing a black truck for the trip. With the headlights off, they were able to blend in with their surroundings, though he made sure to turn them on once they were on the roads.

The journey back was long, but it gave Natasha enough time to find her way back to consciousness. She was confused about her surroundings at first, but stayed calm as Steve explained what had happened. By then, they were halfway back to Washington, and in their various conditions, they obviously needed a place to wash up and get their wounds seen to.

"We need a place to hide out," Natasha said, wincing as the lights from a passing car hit her eyes. "We can't go back to your place, and I don't want to worry Adena by showing up where she's hiding, looking like we do." She winced again. "I also don't want to get a lecture from her about how we should be more careful."

Steve smiled at the thought of his girl. He wanted to see her so badly, to hold her and let her tend his wounds while giving him a 'talking-to' about his actions. Her lecture wouldn't last long, though; she'd be kissing his forehead and his lips before long, and after that-

A punch on the shoulder brought him back to the present. "Earth to Steve!" chimed in Natasha's voice. "Focus, you big fossil. Where can we go to lie low?"

He thought about it for a minute. "Well, there's one guy I think we can trust, but I'm not sure how to find him."

Natasha snorted and pulled out a phone from her pocket. "Give me his name. I'll take it from there."

* * *

Dawn was approaching by the time they pulled up to a nice little house in the suburbs. Pulling around to the garage, which was separate and in back of the house, Steve parked the truck and went to help Natasha out. She looked pale, exhausted, and had trouble staying steady on her feet, so Steve let her lean on him as they headed up to the back porch.

Sam Wilson answered Steve's insistent knock, his face full of confusion before turning stony. "What the hell?" he asked, taking in their appearance.

"We need someplace to hide," Steve told him.

"Everyone is trying to kill us," Natasha continued, her voice slightly breathless as she leaned on Steve for support.

Sam eyed her closely. "Not everyone," he replied, stepping back to let them in.

* * *

After a quick shower and a check up on himself, Steve felt a hundred times more human. He still had aches and pains, and a shallow cut on his head, but for the most part, he was in good shape. Natasha knew she had a concussion, and firmly told him that it wasn't her first, so she knew how to handle it. Her scrapes and other injuries, however, needed a bit of extra help.

As he helped put a bandage on a particularly ugly cut on her arm, Steve could feel her eyeing him closely. "You weren't willing to trust me much before, were you?" she asked. "After finding me in that ship's computer room, I mean."

He paused. "I admit to losing a bit of faith in you, yes," he confessed before going back to work.

She actually chuckled a little. "Funny, that; I almost prefer your little bit of distrust compared to Adena's complete faith in me –almost. I've always believed that it's never good to have that kind of trust in other people, but in Adena, it's a very sweet part of who she is."

"That's part of why I love her," Steve admitted. "Her warmth and belief in people like us makes her the reason I do what I do. Having her there when I get home helps me hold onto my humanity, just when I think I'm beginning to lose it to my work."

The female spy and assassin actually gave him a warm smirk. "So, in a life-or-death situation, would you trust me to save your life?"

He smiled back. "Of course –but only because my wife likes you."

She chuckled and would have made a comeback if Sam hadn't chosen that moment to knock on the bathroom door. "Food's on the table, if you're hungry," he said, looking at Natasha's wound. "You guys okay? Anything I should know about? I know people who can help, if you've got something serious going on."

Steve shook his head. "I think we're good, and food sounds great." Since he hadn't eaten for more than twenty four hours, he was famished –and having Erskine's serum in him didn't help, not when one of the side-effects was his fast metabolism.

Breakfast was bacon, eggs, toast, and some sausages that had a nice spicy kick to them. After everyone was finished and a third round of coffee had been poured, Steve poured out the whole story to Sam, who sat listening with a scowl on his normally friendly face.

"So you've got one of the world's greatest spy organizations hunting you down because you know the truth about this other spy organization infiltrating it," Sam slowly drawled out. "That sounds bad."

"It is bad," Natasha replied. "The question is: what are we going to do about it?"

"And how are we going to do it with no backup?" Steve put in. "Between the two of us, Natasha and I can do a lot of damage, but it'll only be a matter of time before we're taken down. There might be a few agents that we can trust to help out, but given that HYDRA's everywhere in SHIELD's ranks, it's hard to tell who works for which side."

Sam heaved a heavy sigh as he looked at his coffee mug. "Well, if you don't mind a retired vet tagging along, you can raise your count to three." He finished off his cup and got to his feet. "Wait a second; there's something I want to show you."

Natasha gave Steve a sharp look and got to her feet. After all their time working together, Steve could read her body language: she was ready to take Sam down if he turned out to be something other than what he appeared. Steve, however, was willing to give the man the benefit of the doubt, and simply got to his feet, taking a stance beside her. If he had to, he'd break up any fight that might break out.

To his relief, all Sam had in his hands was a file folder –and what was written on the front made Steve's relief vanish like a puff of smoke. It was a confidential project call "Falcon."

"I thought you said you were a pilot," Steve said, crossing his arms.

"Naw, I never said I was a pilot," Sam replied, also crossing his arms.

"Wait, I heard of this project," Natasha exclaimed, looking at the folder's contents. "There was some sort of conflict in the Middle East. Some soldiers were trapped under enemy fire, and it was too dangerous to send in helicopters."

She glanced up at Sam, eyes looking at him closely. "Rumor had it, the Air Force sent in some sort of air support, but one of the men was killed. Was he your partner?"

Sam's reply came out soft, like a whisper. "I left the Air Force after that. I couldn't forgive myself for what happened to him. I thought I could make up for it by helping other vets, but…something like that never really heals –not completely."

The stricken look on the other man's face struck a cord in Steve. It was the same one he himself had worn, after Bucky had fallen to his own death.

There was silence for a moment as they tried to think of what to do next. In the end, it was Steve who spoke. "You know, I was wondering what someone like Sitwell was doing onboard that ship in the first place. Why would SHIELD send an agent of his level to a science vessel?"

Perking up, Natasha caught on quickly. "He's got to be a HYDRA mole."

"So Sitwell works for the enemy." Steve scowled at the floor in thought. "He's got to know HYDRA's next plan. We've got to find a way to get him to talk."

He looked up in time to see Natasha put on a somewhat bloodthirsty look. "Oh, I can think of a few ways. But first, we need to get Sam's suit."

"It's well-guarded," Sam hastily told them.

Steve exchanged an amused look with the woman next to him. "Not a problem," Natasha replied with a smirk.

* * *

AN: Review?


	7. Questions and Answers

Disclaimer: I own nothing _**Captain America**_-related…though I might consider asking _**Marvel**_ to loan him and the rest of the Avengers to me for a while. Until then, only original characters are mine.

AN: Please enjoy the chapter and review. Thanks!

**Chapter 7: Questions and Answers**:

It wasn't too much of a 'break-in' when it came to getting Sam's suit from the government facility. Natasha still had contacts that were able to slip her past some of the security systems, but there were still several levels of guards, computers, and cameras that had to be dealt with before the suit was safely in their hands.

Of course, when a guy had Natasha Romanoff on his side, getting in and out of stuff like that is easier than it would be without her.

That said, it took about ten minutes to get in and out, much to Sam's disbelief. "Makes me glad that I'm on your good side," he muttered as they made their getaway.

Back at Sam's house, they quickly put together a plan on how to get Agent Sitwell alone, so that they could question him without the risk of a SHIELD ambush, much like the one Steve had been forced to escape from at the Triskelion (an event he hoped to keep secret from Adena for as long as possible).

"Sitwell acts tough, but he tends to break easily under pressure," Natasha informed them. "Trust me; I've dealt with him before. If you scare him enough, he'll tell you anything you want to know."

Well, that would make things a lot easier. "Any ideas?" Steve asked her.

The smile that she gave him was almost scary. "I think I do," she said, crossing her arms.

* * *

Locating Agent Sitwell wasn't that difficult, not when Natasha wanted things done. A few lower-level SHIELD assistants had access to various calendars, and a majority of those were awed and even afraid of the more 'experienced agents.' So, using that tiny bit of influence, Natasha was able to persuade one of those assistants to give her Sitwell's calendar for the day.

"Apparently he's joining Senator Stern for lunch this afternoon," she said with the tell-tale smirk Steve knew so well. "Given how long it takes the Senator to eat, they should be done around two thirty or three o' clock."

They'd decided to get there early, just in case. Steve and Natasha sat in Sam's car and waited just around the corner, while Sam himself sat outside the hotel where Sitwell and the Senator were eating. The former paratrooper looked more than happy to sip his coffee and relax in the afternoon sunshine while Steve sat anxiously in the passenger seat of the car.

"Rogers, how many times do I have to tell you to calm down?" Natasha asked as she leaned back in her seat, nibbling on a fruit bar that she had swiped from Sam's house. "We've got this. Once we've got our hands on Sitwell, he'll tell us anything we want to know."

"It's not just that," Steve reluctantly admitted. "I'm worried about how Adena's doing."

"She's fine," Natasha remarked with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "Richie's looking after her, and I promise that the location is secure. I got it as a gift from a friend, with no way it can be traced back to me. It's a nice, quiet place to hide out –trust me, I've been there before."

She hesitated for a brief second. "It's not in the best shape, but I'm sure she's fine. It's not the Ritz, but at least its got electricity and water." Natasha rolled her eyes as Steve looked at her in horror. "Oh, stop that –it's not a dumpster, or a run down shack! I'm sure your wife can survive sleeping in a dusty condo for a while."

Scowling, Steve went back to looking out the window, ignoring the look that she was giving him. "You're thinking about something else, though; aren't you?" she softly asked.

Yes, he was. "I'm wondering what Agent Cooper's telling Adena about all this."

"He's telling her absolutely nothing."

Steve looked at her. "What? He has to tell her _something_."

Natasha shook her head. "I told Richie to keep everything quiet until he heard from me. I also gave him orders on what to do if things don't go well for us. Meaning, I told him to take Adena to Pepper and Tony, so that she could be looked after while we try and get ourselves out of whatever mess we fall into."

He didn't know whether to be relived or not. At least Natasha had managed to put together a backup plan for his wife, so that she could remain safe. Tony would be able to set her up in a house where HYDRA couldn't find her, or at least somewhere equally secure.

"Heads up," Natasha said, nodding towards the hotel as she put the rest of the bar back in her jacket pocket. "It's time to play."

Watching Sitwell exit the hotel, Steve clenched his fists tightly. It most certainly was.

* * *

The satisfaction of throwing Sitwell through the doorway on a rooftop twenty floors up was very gratifying. Steve fully let the anger he was feeling show, and that clearly scared Sitwell almost as much as Natasha's cool assassin façade.

"It's time to talk, Sitwell," Steve told him, reaching down and picking the quivering man up from where he lay. In seconds, he had the HYDRA operative leaning against the building's ledge, and it took a lot of restraint to keep from giving into the temptation of pushing him off.

"You won't drop me off the top of this building," Sitwell scoffed with a semi-confident smile. "It's not your style, Cap."

Steve went cold, blue eyes focused on the other man. "It might be, if it concerns my wife." He paused. "But no, it's not my style." He turned towards Natasha. "It's hers."

Cool as can be, Natasha quickly kicked Sitwell in the gut, sending him off the roof. As the man fell, she turned to Steve. "So, any idea on the anniversary gift yet?"

Steve shrugged. "I got Adena a bracelet. It's very pretty."

Natasha _tsked_ at him. "Come on, you could have done better than that. You _do_ know that diamonds are a girl's best friend, right?"

"Not hers," Steve replied. "She says they're too flashy. She doesn't like a lot of flash."

Sam's appearance up the side of the building put a stop to the conversation. Meanwhile, Steve was able to enjoy himself as he watched Sitwell get dropped onto the rooftop like the sack of garbage he was.

After Sitwell managed to get himself together, Steve reached down and pulled him to his knees, facing him and Natasha. "Now talk," he growled. "What's HYDRA up to?"

Through the high-pitched babble, Steve managed to make out in general what Sitwell was saying. Somehow, the formula created by Zola's preserved consciousness was designed to eliminate threats to HYDRA and its plans, all by using the person's past and present to predict his or her future.

"That's impossible," Steve said. "No one and nothing can predict the future."

Sitwell actually managed a laugh. "The 21st century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it. Zola's algorithm reads a person's past in order to predict their future. Think about! Bank accounts, degrees, spending habits –everything is online, the information available everywhere!"

"What sort of people is it designed to take out?" Steve demanded, grabbing the other man's collar and hauling him to his feet. "_Who_?"

"All sort of people," Sitwell babbled. "You, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, and a lot of others, including your wife!"

Steve's grip tightened, slowly choking the agent where he stood. "What about my wife?"

Sitwell swallowed hard. "She was a bit of a surprise to everyone, even Zola. It took a little while, but he managed to figure out what type of person she was. Your wife is what people might call the "heart" of your team of freaks, what Fury called The Avengers."

He took a breath. "Zola figured out, after the Battle of New York, that you guys would do anything to keep her safe, no matter what the cost, because she's the one good thing, the one good _connection_, you all share. Even when you're miles apart, Zola knew that you'd all come together to save her if anything bad happened to her. And you did, twice!"

The man was right. After Adena had been taken by Loki, then by Sharon Carter, both Steve and Tony had done everything to save her. Even Phil Coulson was willing to pull strings inside SHIELD to help her. Adena was the one entirely 'normal' person in their group of oddities, which, ironically, made her an oddity in a group of oddities. But she was also kind, caring, and warm –she was a friend to everyone, and did everything she could to encourage people around her.

"Is that why HYDRA wants her dead?" Natasha asked, breaking into Steve's thoughts.

Sitwell shook his head. "Dead or alive –either one works."

Steve shook him hard, causing his captive's head to shake like a bobble head. "Dead, I understand; but why would they want her alive?"

The man actually had the nerve to roll his eyes at them. "Seriously, don't you know? Because she's _your_ wife, Captain! Because she's such good friends with your little ragtag group! Think about what HYDRA could do if they got their hands on her!"

Natasha shifted slightly on her feet, slipping into a stance that Steve knew very well –it was the one she took whenever she was ready to deliver a killing blow to the person in front of her.

Sam, meanwhile, had stayed quiet throughout much of the conversation. "They'd keep her prisoner," he whispered. "They could torture her, or even do some kind of weird experiments on her. I've heard all sorts of horror stories from vets who were war prisoners."

"I agree," Natasha softly replied. "If they got their hands on her, they could use her against us; mostly by threatening to kill her if we didn't do what they said. You know they would."

Oh, yes; Steve knew they would. "So if HYDRA can't get their hands on her…"

"Then she's a target for Project Insight," Natasha confirmed. "They'd take her out along with the others they've got their sights on."

That really got Steve's blood boiling. "How can you kill people over a prediction Zola made about them being a threat?"

"Zola is never wrong; he predicted how everything would turn out!" He paused. "Oh, god," Sitwell groaned, "Pierce is going to kill me for telling you guys this."

Sam shifted, his hands going for a gun at his hip. "So, what do we do with him?"

Steve considered it. "I'm not sure; but I'm sure we'll think of something."

* * *

The fight on the highway was a shock on many different levels.

For Steve, the attack should have been expected. After all, they had swiped one of HYDRA's moles, so retaliation was something that was bound to happen.

Like most of his past battles, this one had passed in a blur, the details only becoming full and clear after it was over. Steve remembered something landing atop the car, an arm punching through the window and Sitwell getting tossed into oncoming traffic like a rag doll. The usual hail of bullets followed, as did being forced to escape from Sam's destroyed car with his two friends in tow, and having to leap from the bridge to the road below to avoid more gunfire.

But what he remembered most of all was Bucky. His closest friend, the man who had been a brother of the heart, as well as a brother-in-arms, was now the enemy they all feared. He had taken down Nick Fury, and had just tried to kill Steve, all apparently on HYDRA's orders.

Even after all he'd been through, this had to be one of the most gut-wrenching moments of his life. When Steve's mother had died, the blow of her passing had been softened by Bucky's offer to stay over until Steve's grief had faded a little. Bucky's own supposed death had been softened by Peggy's support, and Steve's awakening in modern passing had been given a warm, welcoming glow by Adena.

This time, there was no one standing there to help. Just seeing his best friend standing there, ready to kill him with his metal arm was like a punch to the gut and a blow to the head. Stunned, Steve hadn't even had the heart to fight Rumlow and the STRIKE team that had come to arrest him, Natasha and Sam.

The only thing that had brought him back was the fact that, once they were imprisoned in the STRIKE vehicle, Steve noticed that Natasha had been shot. His concern for her knocked a bit of sense into his head, but by then, it was too late to do much but sit and wait for them to arrive at the Triskelion, where Alexander Pierce no doubt had a nasty end waiting for them.

Back in his senses, Steve was able to actually be surprised when Agent Maria Hill made her appearance, in disguise as a STRIKE team member, to rescue them. He had never actually seen her in the field, but after watching her work, Steve could easily see why she was one of Fury's best.

Steve didn't like the idea of escaping through the backstreets of D. C., not with Natasha hurt and running the risk of infection, but the run wasn't long. Within fifteen minutes after slipping through the hole cut in the bottom of the STRIKE team's transport vehicle, they were in a government marked SUV, the darkened windows providing a bit of a safe haven for them.

"Where are we going?" Steve demanded from his place in the middle row of seats, while Sam sat in the very back with Natasha, doing everything possible to stop her bleeding. "And how did you know we'd be in trouble?"

"I've been following the transmissions of SHIELD ever since Fury went down," Hill replied, eyes never leaving the road. "When I heard that there was some sort of attack on the bridge, and that they were sending a team out, I knew the two of you had to be involved. I didn't know that you'd picked up a friend in the process."

"Nice to meet you, too," Sam quipped from the back, causing Steve to smile a little.

"So where are we going?" Steve demanded. "Wherever it is, I won't be staying long. I want to get back to my wife as soon as possible."

Hill actually gave a small smirk. "Trust me, Captain. You need to go where I'm taking you."

* * *

An old dam was not what Steve had in mind as a hideout, but then, if he didn't think of it, no one else probably would.

The drive had been a bit lengthy, since it was out in the middle of a forest, away from the main roads. In spite of the long drive and lack of medical attention, Natasha was holding up rather well, though she was pale from the loss of blood.

Once the car was parked, Steve helped her out, both he and Sam half dragging her inside. The interior of the dam was damp, dark, and cool, the air slightly humid, but not much so. Dim lights cast a soft glow on the dripping walls, giving a limited visibility to anyone walking through corridors.

As they headed further in, Steve saw a small older gentleman rush out of a side door. "I saw you pull up. Is the young lady wounded badly?"

"She needs medical attention," Steve sharply told him in his Army voice.

"Later," Hill said. "He wants to see them."

Confused, Steve followed where Hill indicated, Natasha beginning to sag a little as they stepped through a door at the far end of the hall. There, a large plastic cubical had been erected, with various medical machines inside beeping away as they helped the person lying in the hospital bed.

When Steve saw who was in the bed, he tried to decide whether or not he wanted to punch the man in the face, or laugh in relief. It was Nick Fury, and he looked very much the worse for wear.

"About damn time," Fury commented, the drugs in his system making his words slightly slurred. "Seriously, what took you?"

Beside the bed were two other figures Steve couldn't make out through the plastic, but one of them clearly recognized him. It immediately left its place beside the bed, running towards him.

"Steve!" cried a female voice, one that was so familiar that he found himself leaving Natasha's limping form before he could think about it. It was Adena.

Heaving a sigh of relief, he reached out and swept his wife up in an embrace, holding her tightly as he breathed in the scent of her hair and savored the sensation of having her in his arms again. It had felt like an age since he'd last held her.

It took a few minutes for them to break apart, and when they did, Steve noticed that Natasha was giving him a smug look, Agent Hill was smiling at them, and Sam looked more surprised than anything else. The only person Steve wasn't happy to see was Agent Cooper, who was looking slightly envious at the attention Steve was getting from Adena.

"I was so worried about you," his wife whispered as she held tightly to his neck. "I knew something bad had to be happening, especially when Agent Hill came to get me, but I didn't know what."

Pulling back, she looked into his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me what was going on? Fury had to let me in on everything!"

There was nothing that Steve wanted more than to protect his wife from danger, but he knew that she had a right to know what was happening, especially when it concerned her well-being. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "With everything that's been going on, there wasn't time, and it really wasn't a good idea, either."

She knew he was right, but wouldn't admit it. He could tell she was still upset, but not as much as he expected. "Well, I'm glad you're okay."

"Hey, I'm here, too," Natasha put in, a wan smile on her face as the doctor tended to her would.

Steve watched as Adena's eyes widened. "Oh, my god, Tasha, you're hurt!" she cried, trying to take a step forward. "Damn it, I thought I'd seen enough people shot this week to last a while."

Natasha waved her words aside. "Stop being so dramatic, Adena. This isn't the first bullet I've encountered, and won't be the last." She hissed as the physician injected something into her side. "In this case, I guess it's bye-bye bikinis."

Adena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because I'm sure you'd look terrible in them now."

A polite cough drew both Steve and Adena's attention towards Sam. "Hey, Dee," he said with a wave and a smile.

To Steve's surprise, she gasped and went to greet the other man with a hug. "Sam! How the hell did you get wrapped up in this mess?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Sam replied, pulling back to eye her closely.

She shrugged. "Being Captain America's wife, this sort of thing comes with the territory. You kind of have to learn to take it in stride."

Sam laughed. "So, this is the husband with the wacky schedule? Man, I should have guessed that was the case. Look at you –Mrs. Captain America! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Adena reached out and smacked him on the shoulder. "It's not something we want widely known. Remember what you said about dealing with the attention and the press?"

She then turned her attention towards Steve. "Sam and I work at the same community center for war veterans. And I know that the two of you met on a morning jog, because Sam mentioned it before this whole mess got started. So that that we all know how we're all connected, maybe there's somewhere we can all catch up?"

At that cue, Agent Hill entered the room. "We have a makeshift conference room set up across the hall. You're welcome to use that."

A few minutes later, while Natasha went to rest up in another room set up for that purpose, Sam, Adena and Steve all sat around a good-sized metal table, a plastic pitcher of juice and a set of cups set up for them. Steve had no idea where the juice had come from, but he was more than happy to pour some for himself and for his wife, who sat pressed up against him with her head on his shoulder.

"So what were you up to while Cap here was out running around with us?" Sam asked, pouring himself a glass of chilled juice.

Smiling, Adena snuggled into Steve's shoulder. "Not much to tell, really, but if you insist on knowing, I'll tell you."

* * *

AN: Review?


	8. A Course of Action

Disclaimer: I own nothing _**Captain America**_-related…though I might consider asking _**Marvel**_ to loan him and the rest of the Avengers to me for a while. Until then, only original characters are mine.

AN: Please enjoy, and please don't forget to review. Thanks!

**Chapter 8: A Course of Action:**

The waiting was starting to drive me crazy when Agent Hill suddenly appeared on the doorstep.

Richie, who had been taking his new position as my personal bodyguard very seriously, had almost put a bullet into her before realizing who it was. After that, he gave a quick apology before swiftly letting her inside.

"Mrs. Rogers," she greeted me. "I'm here to take you to a different secure location. I need you to come with me."

I saw Richie stiffen, as though he didn't trust Agent Hill with my safety, but I knew better. Fury had counted on her, trusted her like he didn't trust anyone else –if she wanted to take me somewhere, it had to be for a good reason.

"Let me grab my stuff, and we can head out," I agreed, heading for the bags Richie had brought just yesterday. Was it really just a day or so ago that Fury had been shot, and Steve had rushed off on some weird mission or another?

In twenty minutes, we were on the road, heading out to a section of forest that was beautiful, but isolated. The further we got from civilization, the stiffer Richie got –it was as though he expected us to be rolling into a trap. If I didn't know what I did about Hill, I'd have suspected the same thing.

To my surprise, our destination was an old reservoir or dam. A side door looked as though it had been in use only recently, so I suspected that Hill had come here after seeing to Fury's body (though I had no idea why). Richie didn't look happy about my following the female agent inside, but I didn't hesitate. If she said we'd be safe here, I was all for it.

Inside, it was dank, dark, and the sound of water dripping came from several directions, but I ignored it in favor of following close behind Agent Hill. She led me to a door at the end of a long hallway, and after telling Richie to stay outside (which he unhappily did), she led me inside the room.

What I found there made me want to laugh, cry, and let out a string of profanity that would have made Steve blush. As it was, I did a bit of each, much to Director Fury's amusement.

"You bastard!" I cried, rushing up to his hospital bed. "You, you, you…" The string of curses after that was much stronger.

He weakly waved a hand at me. "Yeah, yeah, I know," he calmly replied when I finally stopped cussing. "Now, come over here and give some help to a poor dead man."

Huffing, I went up to the side of his bed and poured him a cup of water. "If I didn't know that you could still take me out, even in the crappy shape you're in, I'd kill you myself," I told him, half joking.

The smirk he gave me was infectious. "I'm just glad _you're_ okay, considering the chaos that's been happening the past couple days," he replied, taking the water.

My interest was piqued. "Chaos? What are you talking about?"

He gave me a look with his one good eye. "Rogers didn't tell you?" The scowl on my face must have told him his answer. "Well, first of all, your husband's been branded a traitor by SHIELD."

"What?" I yelled, my heart leaping up to my throat.

Maria Hill stepped into the protected area where Fury's medical bed and treatment machines sat. "When Rogers refused to inform Pierce about the whereabouts of the flash drive containing the information on Project Insight, he branded the Captain a traitor to the organization," she explained. "Even while under attack, Rogers escaped the Triskelion, but after that, we lost track of him for a while. We assumed, somewhere along the way, he was met by Agent Romanoff, and the two of them headed off to search for answers about what the hell was going on."

"We've been listening in on SHIELD's communications," Fury continued. "Apparently there was some sort of threat in New Jersey, which I can only assume is the duo we mentioned. A missile was sent to eliminate that threat."

A pair of arms was suddenly around my waist, holding me up as a voice called for Agent Cooper to help. All of a sudden, he was there, and I was being held up, my mind spinning as a wet cloth was pressed against my forehead. Beside me, Fury was trying to say something, but his words weren't getting through the fog that had enveloped my brain.

"Adena?" Richie's voice called to me. "Adena, are you alright?" He shook my shoulder. "It's okay; your husband and Agent Romanoff are alive! It's okay!"

It took a bit for that to sink in, but once it did, my brain began to function again. "He's alive?" I whispered, looking at Fury. "You're not humoring me, are you?"

"He's alive," Fury confirmed. "I've sent Agent Hill to retrieve them. Apparently, a STRIKE team has been called to a fire-fight on a freeway, so we're guessing that's the Captain's location. Agent Hill will try and get them out of whatever situation they've gotten themselves into, and once they're secure, she'll bring them here."

Steve was coming? Oh, thank god! I pulled the cloth from my forehead and slowly got stabilized myself on my feet, assisted by Richie, who looked very worried. "I'm okay," I assured him. Turning to Fury, I asked, "Sir, is there something I can do around here, to burn the time?"

He shook his head. "Not that I can think of. Between my skilled physician and Agent Hill, I've got all the support I need."

Looking at him closely, I had to ask the one question that was burning a hole in me. "Sir, how did you manage to fake your death? I mean, I saw you die on the table!"

The jerk had the audacity to smirk at me. "That's something I'll tell everyone when they get here. Now, go play somewhere while I get some sleep."

Huffing in annoyance, I crossed my arms, and scowled. "You don't get out of it that easily! I'm going to stand here and look after you until your doctor comes and throws me out. Now, have you been drinking plenty of fluids and taking whatever medications he's prescribed to you?"

He groaned, closing his eyes when he realized that I meant to 'kill him with kindness.' "I should have put you in charge of torturing prisoners," he muttered as I grinned and picked up one of his pill bottles. "Give me one of the green ones, will you? It might put me in a deep enough sleep that I won't have to put up with you hovering and making me miserable."

Laughing, I poured out a tablet and handed it to him. He still wasn't going to get out of this _that_ easily.

* * *

"And that's what happened while you guys were getting blown up, running around D. C., and getting into more trouble," Adena said, leaning back in her chair.

"Not funny," Steve commented as he squeezed her hand.

"It's a good story," said a voice from the doorway. "Not entirely accurate, but close enough."

"Sir, you should be resting!" Adena exclaimed as she went to help Fury to a chair. Behind him came Natasha, who still looked pale. "So should you!" she lectured as she helped them both to seats.

Both shook their heads. "Too much we need to discuss," Fury said as Agent Hill entered the room, carrying a large black plastic case. "Go sit down, Adena. We've got some serious things to talk about."

She did as he ordered, but didn't look happy about it. "Okay; since you want to talk, I'll start with a question. How _are_ you still alive?"

He smiled and shifted in his seat, clutching his side as he moved. "Tetradozine B: reduces the pulse to one heartbeat a minute. Banner made it for his stress-related issues. It didn't go well for him, but we found uses for it."

"Clearly," Maria muttered as she slipped into her own seat, the case gently set on the floor beside her.

Adena didn't look amused. "Okay, how about this: how could you agree to let them build those Helicarriers?" she angrily demanded. "What the _hell_ were you thinking? It's like putting an army of snipers up in the sky and putting their guns to the heads of every person on earth! You're supposed to be the good guys. Good guys don't do that! That's what should have tipped you off that the ones who wanted them built weren't doing what SHIELD agents do!"

Fury suddenly looked torn between being angry at her question and surprised. In the time he'd known her, Adena had only once lectured or yelled at him, and that was when Loki had been messing around with everyone's heads.

"I did what I thought would keep people safe," he replied, sitting diagonally in his chair. "And I had suspicions that HYDRA was still out there –I just didn't have proof of its existence. Nor did I think that they'd managed to infiltrate SHIELD until recently." He looked at his battered and wounded body. "As you can see, I've managed to pay for that mistake rather harshly."

"So what do we do?" Adena demanded. "We can't just let HYDRA kill off innocent people."

Fury nodded at Hill, who placed the black case on the table. "We take them down," Hill stated, looking pointedly at the case. "Once the Carriers reach three thousand feet, they'll link up with Insight's satellites and arm themselves.

"Inside each of the Carriers is an array of computer chips that form the main systems. Those include connections to the satellites circling the planet, and the targeting software that will direct the guns onboard to their intended targets."

Hill then opened the case and showed them the contents: three large computer chips. "We intend to breach each of the Carriers and replace these chips. Just one or two won't work –it has to be one in each Carrier, because if even one is left operational, a whole lot of people are going to die."

There was a long pause as everyone took that in. Once she was sure everyone understood the price of failure, Hill continued. "Replacing the chips will allow me to hack into their systems and gain control. I will then enter new orders into the software, and force the ships to fire upon each other, destroying them before they can harm many, if any, innocents."

Looking around, Fury asked, "Any questions?"

* * *

I had about a thousand, and many included whether or not they thought they could pull this off and come out alive. I knew they were all in, but what about me? What could I do to help them?

The answer was: nothing. I couldn't fight, I was hopeless with technology, and if I went, I'd only be putting myself and the others in danger. So, of course, I would have to stay behind and hope that everyone came back.

I was about to ask where I'd be hiding during this whole thing when Steve spoke up.

"It's not enough," he said, catching everyone, including me, by surprise.

Fury looked at him with his good eye. "What do you mean by that? What do you suggest, Cap?"

"We shut down HYDRA, we shut down SHIELD," Steve declared.

"One has nothing to do with the other!" Fury protested, shocked and obviously fearful of the idea. It was, after all, his agency, the one he had dedicated much of his life to.

By now, Steve was getting angry. "You're not part of HYDRA, but you had the same ideas they did! If we have to shut this down, we shut down everything! HYDRA grew under your nose, and nobody noticed!"

"I noticed. Why do you think we're meeting in a cave?" Fury sarcastically remarked.

"You noticed, but you didn't do anything to stop it," Steve snapped. "You let them keep going, spreading terror, fear, and misery across the world, but didn't stop them. Now, if we fail, they're going to finally what they want. HYDRA's going to target over twenty million people, _including my wife_, and eliminate them because they're a threat to _their_ 'perfect world!'"

I inhaled sharply. "Me?" I asked as fear started setting in. "They want to kill _me_? Why?"

Steve gave me a fierce, but apologetic look. "Because of your ties to the Avengers –and because you are _my_ wife."

He looked at Fury. "If I'm going to keep not only the world safe, but also Adena, then we take down the whole system."

Still looking alarmed, Fury turned to Natasha, who gave him an apologetic look. "He's right. We seriously dropped the ball on this one, and the only way to get rid of this poison is to purge it."

Fury then turned towards Sam, who shrugged. "Don't look at me. I do whatever he does, only slower."

That lone eye turned to focus on me, as did several others. Sighing, I leaned back in my chair and considered the matter before speaking. "I can see both sides of this," I slowly told them. "On one side, I do know that Steve is right: it all has to go."

I held up a hand to stop Fury's protests. "The main foundation of SHIELD was good and pure: to protect. But HYDRA began corrupting SHIELD almost right from the start, and after that, everything that you sought to do was tainted. If we're going to neutralize this, we need to hit it all."

Then it was my turn to give an apologetic look, this time to Steve. "I know you probably don't think so, but in the end, we do need someone, or something, to stand between the world and any dangerous groups or individuals that try to take it over. We need an organization to literally stand as a shield between us and that danger.

"I truly believe that not all of SHIELD's agents are corrupt. There's Natasha, Agent Barton, and Agent Cooper. There's also Phil Coulson, who I feel is probably the truest believer in everything SHIELD stands for. Those kinds of people simply need to be found and gathered to rebuild SHIELD from the ground up, to have it truly stand for what it was meant to."

Sighing again, I looked at the computer chips, sitting securely in their black case. "Take down the ships first, you guys. Once you've made that huge mess, then we'll figure out how to clean up and start all over again –the right way, this time."

There was a moment of silence as everyone seemed to take that in. I waited, wondering if anyone was going to protest against what I said, but instead, Fury let out a heavy sigh.

"Well, like Adena said: first things first. We get this thing done, and figure the rest out later. Adena, since this is going to get long and extremely complicated, why don't you go find Agent Cooper and tell him that his previous orders still stand? He's to keep a firm eye on you, and keep you out of the fire until it's all over."

Steve scowled, but didn't protest as I got up and headed out of the room, my heart heavy as I heard them get straight to planning before I'd even closed the door behind me.

* * *

During a moment's break in planning, Steve grabbed a cup of water and slurped it down slowly, mind wandering as he thought about everything that Adena had said.

He didn't like the idea of rebuilding SHIELD very much. He had seen the way they could spy on anyone they wanted, and get any type of information that they chose. It didn't sit right with him, the way they could keep an eye on people without them knowing. Some things were just meant to be private.

But in the end, Adena had been right, in a way –the world did need something to stand and defend it from things like HYDRA and its allies. That was why he had joined SHIELD in the first place: to protect people. He hadn't known that he'd inadvertently become part of what he had been trying to destroy for so long.

After this, the old spy agency would be wiped away, and if his wife was right, they could start again. It would take a while, but it could be done. The CIA, FBI and other agencies hadn't been formed overnight, so it made sense for whomever Fury chose as his successor to take his or her time to rebuild from the ground up.

'_I've no doubt that Natasha, Barton, and Coulson will be part of it_,' he thought to himself as he tossed back the last of the water in his cup. '_Between those three, we already have half of an agency_.'

And if they got a few people as smart as Stark and Dr. Banner to be the technological part of the agency, they'd have the other half.

Still, it wasn't what Steve had signed up for. He was a soldier –he wasn't a spy, an assassin or a government agent that was used to secrecy and working behind the scenes. Maybe, if the future leader of SHIELD asked, Steve could give them a few pointers on how to keep their eyes focused on what they were supposed to do: protect people honorably and not take lives needlessly.

Then there was Adena herself.

After being with her for more than two years, Steve knew that something was bothering her. She was, without a doubt, worried that they might not all survive the upcoming fight, and chief on her mind was Steve's safety. She knew he would do anything and everything in his power to make sure that this mission succeeded, and feared that he wouldn't come back to her if things went horribly wrong.

But there was something else nagging at her, and he wanted to know what. He longed to head out to find her, to take her in his arms and comfort her, just as she had comforted him so often.

The gold ring on his left hand glinted in the light of the overhead lamp. '_I've been here for hours, and haven't had more than fifteen or twenty minutes with my wife_.'

After this meeting was over, he was seriously going to have to remedy that.

* * *

AN: Next up: everything hits the fan (again)! Review?


	9. Quiet Moments and Reflection

Disclaimer: I own nothing _**Captain America**_-related…though I might consider asking _**Marvel**_ to loan him and the rest of the Avengers to me for a while. Until then, only original characters are mine.

AN: Okay, I kind of fibbed in the previous author's notes: this is not an action chapter. Actually, it's kind of a quiet one this time, though it does help get the ball rolling a bit. A lot more Steve and Adena, with a few others sprinkled in. Please enjoy, and don't forget to review. Thanks!

**Chapter 9: Quiet Moments and Reflection:**

It took hours for them to formulate a plan and work out the details. By the time they were finished, it was getting late, and Steve was longing to take a nap somewhere, preferably with Adena in his arms.

Unfortunately, he knew that was going to be impossible –at least for now. Fury had a few cots set up in his little hideout, but while Natasha and Sam went to catch some rest, and Fury stayed behind to talk with Maria Hill, Steve went in search of his wife. He knew she was upset about something, and it was time for him to find out what it was.

After searching through the complex twice, he was stopped by Agent Cooper, who should have been keeping an eye on Adena in the first place. "After about fifteen or twenty minutes, she very politely told me to take a hike," Cooper informed him, a slight bit of laughter in his voice. "I saw her head upstairs to the top of the dam with a book and her phone."

Relieved, Steve headed up the stairs and emerged into fading sunshine. Adena was seated and propped up against the low wall that ran around the top of the structure, head down as she tried to lose herself in her book. He knew she wasn't really getting far, though –she was a fast reader, and right now, she was taking a long time to even turn the page. She must have been up here for ages, waiting for him.

"Hi," he whispered, coming up to stand beside her.

She looked immensely relieved as she tossed aside the book and jumped to her feet before throwing herself into his arms. "Took you long enough," she teased. "I thought you were supposed to be good at strategy and planning stuff like this?"

Smiling, Steve leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Several moments passed, the two of them simply stood there, holding one another and exchanging kisses. Steve didn't want to stop, but he knew that they needed to talk.

Reluctantly pulling back, he whispered, "Something's bothering you. What is it?"

Sighing, she leaned against his chest, her head tucked under his chin as he tightened his arms around her waist. "I'm scared," she admitted. "I mean, I'm always scared when you go out on a mission, but this time, I'm terrified. I keep thinking about what you guys must have decided to do, how you're going to do it, and whether or not you're going to survive."

He heard her take a huge breath. "Then I think about how _useless_ I am to all of you. All I can do is sit around, waiting for you guys to either succeed or fail! I can't come with you because I know I'll just get in the way, but I wish I knew how to help in some way. I wish I knew how to fight like Natasha, or figure out how to do something scientific or technological, like Tony or Bruce. But instead, I can't do anything to _help_ you!"

Watery eyes looked up at him. "I don't want to sit in a safe-house or a secret location while you all put your lives in danger to save the world. I know it sounds like I'm whining, but I do wish that there was some way I could be of use to you guys."

Closing his eyes, Steve held her close as her body to quiver as those tears began to flow. He knew that she hated feeling helpless, and he needed to tell her that. She might not be a Natasha Romanoff or a female version of Tony or Bruce, but Adena was still a vital importance to him.

"You are useful," he whispered. "You are the one thing that reminds us what we are fighting for."

He could feel her doubt about his words, even without looking at her. "It's true. We need to be reminded that, with all the evil in the world, it's the ordinary and the helpless that we risk our lives for. We try to protect and defend those who can't fight, who want to, but are unable to."

He smiled. "I don't think I've ever said this before, but you're the one bright light in my life, Adena. With you, I look forward to each day that's coming, and I am able to look back on our times together with so much warmth and happiness. I look forward to the end of each mission because I have you waiting for me to come back home."

Swallowing harshly to swallow his own tears, he whispered, "Without you in my life, I'd be a lost and lonely soul."

He knew that for sure. If Fury hadn't brought Adena to him, Steve knew that he would be living alone, still lost and confused in this new century. With so much to learn and absorb, he would have struggled to educate himself on what he had missed, a complicated thing to do without someone to guide him.

And the loneliness would have been almost unbearable. With his friends long dead or in their final years, Steve would have found it incredibly difficult to make friends, much less find a way to begin dating in this era. Without anyone to offer comfort and support, he would have looked forward to an empty apartment to welcome him whenever he came home, and a heart that would have started to become colder from the isolation.

But Adena was always there, with a smile, a hug, a kiss, and words that warmed his heart. It tore him apart to leave her, but their reunions always reminded him what -and who- he was fighting for. He did it to save the world, but he also did it to keep her safe. Adena was more than his wife, the woman he loved –she was also his best friend, confidant, and a balm to his heart and soul whenever he thought his work with SHIELD was becoming too much for him. Without her, he would be missing a piece of himself.

Holding her tightly, Steve realized that there was something vitally important that she had to know. "Adena, do you remember my stories about Bucky Barnes; my best friend from the war?"

He felt her pull back to glance up at him. When he looked back at her, he saw the sadness in her face giving way to confusion at the odd change in topic. "Yes; why?"

Steve took a deep breath. "The assassin Natasha was talking about, the one called The Winter Soldier…it's Bucky."

Adena's jaw dropped in shock. "What? How is that possible? He'd be at least ninety years old, an old man by now! How could he have survived this long?"

Steve shook his head. "I have no idea. I'm guessing that HYDRA had something to do with it. They must have done some kind of horrible experiments on him, either to prevent him from aging, or to preserve him in some way over the decades. Either way, I know it's him. He hasn't aged a day since I thought I'd lost him."

There was a moment of quiet as Adena absorbed that information. Steve stood and listened to the wind in the surrounding trees as she did so, his ears open for any unusual sounds in the woods. The only things he heard, though, were the sounds of birds softly chirping as they settled into their nests for the evening. It would be daylight for a little while yet, but for the creatures in the forest, it was bedtime.

"Okay, I think I'm starting to fully process this," she said. "So your best friend, the one you thought dead, is alive, and has been brainwashed into becoming an assassin for HYDRA. As such, he is now trying to kill you. He also tried to kill Fury, as well as Sam and Natasha, and I have no doubt that he will eventually find out that you're married and will come after me, your wife. Does that about cover it?"

"That's about it," Steve admitted. "But I won't let him get to you. He came after me directly; I don't think he's the type to try to get to me through another channel."

It hurt to talk about Bucky that way, but then, it wasn't really Bucky anymore, was it?

Or was it? Was there a way for him to try and save the man he had once been? Was there an ounce of James Buchanan Barnes left in the Winter Soldier –or had HYDRA done everything to wipe away the past from his memories?

"I know how much he meant to you," Adena whispered. "He was there for you most of your life, especially during the hard times."

"Even when I had nothing and no one, I had Bucky," Steve softly told her. "We always said that we'd be there for each other, until the end of the line."

He could feel his wife eying him closely, studying him. There were times where he felt that she was reading his mind, using those odd powers that all women seemed to possess. He'd seen Pepper Potts do it with Tony, and Natasha do it with all sorts of men. Adena had the key to Steve's heart, but she also seemed to have a microscope that focused straight into the depths of his mind.

"You want to try and save him; don't you?" she asked. "When this is over, you want to go find him and try to get him to remember who he really is."

Steve couldn't lie to her; never to her. "Yes," he admitted. "When I saw him on the bridge, I called out to him. And for a second, it seemed like he remembered me, or something about himself that he hadn't before. Something clicked inside him, Adena –I saw it! Bucky is in there; I _know_ he is."

She put a comforting hand on his face, forcing him to look into her eyes. "Maybe. But did you consider the fact that, even though you want to save that man, he might not be the kind you save, but the one you try to stop?"

The idea had crossed his mind, but Steve didn't like thinking about it. Bucky _was_ in there somewhere, and if there was a way to get through to him, Steve would find it.

The hand on his face forced him to draw his attention to his wife's. "Whatever you decide to do, I'll support you. To be honest, if it was _my_ best friend, I'd be doing the same thing. But you must at least consider the possibility that you might not be able to have it both ways. You might be able to keep him from being killed during this fight coming up, but you might not actually get Bucky's essence to return."

That was, of course, the moment that Sam chose that moment to make an appearance.

"There you lovebirds are!" he joked as he jogged along the top of the dam. "People downstairs were starting to get worried when you didn't come back in, Cap."

Steve forced a tired smile. "Well, you can't blame a guy for wanting to be alone with his wife."

Sam waved his words aside. "Come on back in. Fury wants to have another little chat, just to clear up some more details."

Reluctantly, Steve led Adena back in, just as the sun set completely behind a distant hill. Once the door had closed and they were safely tucked within the confines of the dam, Steve gave Sam a pointed look, which the other man immediately understood.

When she noticed Sam's departure, she looked up at him in confusion. "Aren't you going in?"

He smiled. "I wanted to let you know how much I love you."

A soft, warm smile lit her face. "I love you, too, Steve," she whispered as she stood on her toes to give him a loving kiss. "But you know, if you die during this crazy adventure of yours, I will never, ever forgive you."

He grinned. "Oh, I know. But you know, if I do die, I'll simply come back and haunt you."

The two of them barely had time to share a laugh and a kiss before Natasha appeared. "Alright, you two, break it up. Fury wants the two of you ASAP."

Adena looked at her in surprise. "The two of us? I thought he just wanted Steve."

"He did, but after a little while, he decided that it'd be best to include you as well. After all, it's your husband who's putting his life at risk, so technically, it affects you, too. Now come on."

* * *

Steve was clearly _not_ happy with me being invited to Fury's meeting. Still, I did feel rather thrilled at being included. Maybe, if I asked nicely enough, he'd fill me in on what was going on.

The others were already there, and to my surprise, Richie was there, too. He smiled and nodded to me from his seat, which sat beside two empty ones. Steve quickly moved to sit between him and the other chair, leaving me to his right and Richie to his left. It was childish of him, but I decided to just let it go, rather than call him out on it.

When everyone was seated, Fury got to his feet. "It had recently come to my attention that I've given a specific set of tasks to everyone in this room, except for one. Adena, I'm sorry for putting you in the awkward position as a mere side piece in this game. To make up for it, I'm going to give you the task of keeping a distant eye on our group while we're taking care of business."

I perked up, growing excited even as Steve stiffened in his chair. "Really, sir?" I asked eagerly.

He nodded. "I'm going to ask each member of the team to wear a small tracking device that can be traced even from long distances. That way, if something happens and we need medical help or need to be rescued, you'll know where to send trusted resources that belong to either SHIELD, or another agency."

Yes, something I could do to help without getting involved in the fighting! "I'm honored and absolutely delighted and grateful for this opportunity, sir," I replied. "I accept."

As Steve started to protest, Fury raised a hand to stop him. "I'm giving you this assignment based on the fact that you are a person I know I can trust with this, Adena. I know you'll do your best to make sure that we all make it out of here alive, and hopefully in once piece."

He looked over at Steve. "I'm also doing this to ease both your mind, and that of the Captain. You clearly want to be of use to us, and he wants to be sure that you're out of harm's way. This takes care of both those, sort of like a 'two birds with one stone' deal."

At his nod, Agent Hill produced a small black box, which she flipped open and set on the table. Inside were about a dozen tracking devices the size of my thumbnail. "Each of us will have one or two of these on our personages," she said. "Two is pushing it, but there is the likelihood that one could fall out or get crushed. This way, we're covered. If, however, both are destroyed or lost, we will be in constant communication. Adena can keep track of those through her personal device, which I believe was created by Mr. Stark."

Richie leaned back around Steve. "Tony Stark made you a smartphone?" he asked, clearly impressed.

I smiled. "Well, he likes me, and so does his girlfriend, so I guess he felt it'd make sense." Looking over at Fury, I asked, "So, I sync the devices to JT, and use him to keep an eye on your movements and conversations? I'm going to assume that their frequencies are unique ones, to keep others from butting in and spying on us?"

Fury actually smiled. "You assume correctly. You'll be the only one able to keep an eye on us through the devices and our communications link –at least until the Carriers are up in the air."

Well, that was a comforting thought. "So I hunker down a good distance from the Triskelion, with JT in my hands and my eyes and ears open for trouble," I commented, leaning back in my chair. "Sounds like fun."

"Well, _I_ don't think it sounds like fun," Steve stated. "If Adena is going to be our link to backup from other agencies, who is going to be keeping an eye on her while we're busy at the Triskelion?"

I almost laughed as Director Fury gave my husband a pointed look with his one eye and said, "Agent Cooper," his tone final and leaving room for no argument.

I put a hand on Steve's arm, halting his protests and preventing any attempts he might make at taking a swing in Richie's direction. "That's fine. I'm sure that Agent Cooper is capable of keeping me out of harm's way."

I didn't mention that if Richie got between my trying to save Steve and my friends from harm, I would end up doing a lot of harm to _him_.

"There's also the fact that we can't let Steve head into danger without a suit," Fury stated as he crossed his arms. "Unfortunately, we seem to have little to no options."

Seeing another chance for being useful, I raised my hand. "That's not technically true," I said. "What about the Captain America exhibit at the Smithsonian? They've got one of his old uniforms there –you just have to find a way of getting it without anyone seeing."

I paused. "However, there is a chance that they might not be getting it back."

The others laughed or chuckled at that, while Steve took my hand in his. "That's alright," he said. "I'm sure someone can make a replica. This is more important."

"Then it's settled," Fury declared as he looked around at everyone. "Adena, after you sync JT to the tracking devices, go get something to eat from the storage room next door. Then I want you, and everyone else, to get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

The others cleared out pretty quickly, leaving me alone with Steve. When it was just the two of us, Steve sent a glare at Richie's retreating back. When I caught that look, I reached out and smacked him hard on the shoulder.

"Stop that," I ordered firmly. "This grudge you've got against Richie is silly and childish. It isn't like you to hate someone before you've even gotten a chance to know them. You have to stop this right now, before it eats you up inside."

A glare from me froze Steve's words in his mouth. "Richie is a good guy," I told him. "He's a good agent, and he's willing to risk his life to keep me safe. In a lot of ways, he's like you: a man willing to do the right thing, no matter what the cost. I know you don't like the fact that a stranger is doing the one thing you feel you're the only one allowed to do, but you're going to have to accept that you can't do everything. They need you to take down the Carriers, and Richie is the only SHIELD agent that Fury, Hill and Natasha trust with keeping an eye on me. That should say something to you."

Steve went quiet, his mouth shutting as he sat and stewed for a bit, his eyes focused on the ground while I waited for him to calm down. When he finally looked at me, it was with only a slight bit of disapproval in his eyes.

"I do feel that it's my job, and mine alone to keep you safe," he admitted. "But I also know that you're right –I can't be everywhere. It kills me, that I can't be with you while all this is going on, but since the others trust Agent Cooper, I will, too –even if he has a crush on you."

That caught me by surprise. "He what? Where the hell did you get _that_ idea?"

My husband shrugged. "Natasha."

Damn it; Natasha was rarely wrong about this sort of thing. "I never encouraged him," I told Steve. "I never even picked up on it."

He smiled. "I know. I just wanted you to know about it, in case."

Well, at least it wouldn't come as a surprise if Richie tried anything. I didn't think he would, but it probably wouldn't be a bad thing to keep my little taser and pepper spray handy, just in case.

Whipping out JT, I told him it was time to get to work.

* * *

AN: Review?


	10. Saving the World

Disclaimer: I own nothing _**Captain America**_-related…though I might consider asking _**Marvel**_ to loan him and the rest of the Avengers to me for a while. Until then, only original characters are mine.

AN: So, there will be a nice gap between the end of this story and the posting of my next one. It'll kind of be a sequel to this fic, but mostly not (for a small spoiler: it'll be about Bucky, and a female character). Not sure when it'll be up, but keep an eye out. Thanks, and please don't forget to review.

**Chapter 10: Saving the World:**

I honestly felt that the suspense was going to kill me. In fact, the only reason I'd been able to get any sleep last night was because Steve had been there, holding me as we slept, the two of us stretched out across a pair of narrow cots.

We didn't even get a full night's sleep, either. Because there was so much to do, and not much time to do it all in, we'd all been forced to wake up _very_ early in order to make sure everything was in place. Breakfast had been fast food that Maria and Sam had gone out for, and even though it was lukewarm by the time we got it, we were all too busy rushing around to really taste it.

I was the first person that Fury took aside to speak to. I had already synced JT to the tracking devices Fury had provided, but the Director wanted very much to make sure that I understood what I was allowed to be doing.

"You'll keep an ear open on our conversations, and keep a sharp eye on our positions" Fury instructed. "Agent Hill will provide a portable tablet for you to sync JT to, so that you can simultaneously do both. If something goes wrong, or if one of us is in serious trouble, I need you to call for assistance from other agencies, like the FBI and CIA."

Fury looked at me firmly, his one good eye focused on my face. "I _do not_ want you getting directly involved in any way," he said, his tone allowing no room for argument. "You're not to go rushing off and putting yourself in danger because you think someone is in trouble. Everyone involved has been trained to fight and get out of tough situations except you, and putting yourself at risk will only make things more difficult for the rest of us."

My reply was an honest one: I told him that I truly had no intention of making the mission any harder to carry out, and I reluctantly gave my word that I would stay with Richie while everything was going down. Fury clearly didn't believe me, but he apparently had enough faith in my word to let me take part in this.

"Good. Now that that's settled, go get that computer from Hill, and let JT do his thing while I talk to Agent Cooper and that husband of yours."

I ran off, not wanting to be the center of his attention any longer.

* * *

After I had all the gear that Maria had tossed together for me, she showed me to the SUV that Richie and I had been assigned. Apparently, they didn't have many vehicles at their disposal, but since Steve insisted, this was given to me.

The car was bulletproof in all aspects, so even if HYDRA had a squad of guys firing on us, Richie would still be able to get us away. We also had communications hooked up, so that I could call for help if we needed it, and there were a few hidden pockets of weaponry, in case we needed to defend ourselves. Hill also showed me the caches of food and water hidden throughout the car.

The worst part was getting separated from Steve again. He had to leave early, because there were a few things that he needed before heading to the Triskelion. Lucky for us, the others were kind enough to give us a few brief moments alone together.

"Remember: don't do anything stupid, and don't get yourself killed," I firmly said, looking into his eyes as his arms wrapped tightly around my waist. "And don't let yourself get distracted, especially if anyone tries taunting you about my safety. I'll have Richie with me, and we'll be a safe distance from the action, so don't leave go worrying yourself into shifting your focus off your mission."

Steve gave me a small smile. "I can't make too many promises," he teased. "You've got to let me worry about you at least a little bit. But I'll do everything possible to make sure it doesn't get me into trouble."

I gave him a swift kiss on the lips. "Where are you going, anyway? What's so important that you need to do it before the mission?"

The goof actually had the nerve to grin at me. "To get a uniform. A soldier can't go into battle without a uniform." He saw my puzzled look, and smirked. "The Smithsonian has a good one."

"You mean you're actually going to get the one on display there?" I asked in disbelief. "I thought you guys were only joking! Besides, isn't that stealing?"

He shrugged. "It was mine, first; I just loaned it to them."

I choked on the chuckle that bubbled up in my throat, torn between wanting to cry and laugh as Natasha arrived, an apologetic look on her face. "Well, I guess this is it," I whispered. "Just try to come back to me, Cap."

The look he gave me was filled with love and determination. "I will. I always do."

Another kiss, and he was gone. A minute later, Richie arrived to say we had to get into place for our part. Swallowing down the knot of fear and nervousness in my throat, I followed him to the car.

* * *

"This is killing me," I muttered, staring at the computer screen, eyes following the glowing dots that were my friends and husband.

JT was firmly set in a case on my wrist that made him look like an absurdly large watch, which made it easier for me to look at his screen. He also showed the dots, but he was also shifting through the different conversations that were coming through my peoples' communication lines. JT was much more effective at sorting through the chatter than the computer was, and as such, he was streaming the conversations on different levels, so that I could switch between them by pushing the button on the small earpiece Maria had given me.

As expected, I'd been following everyone's conversations ever since I'd left Fury's little hideout. Steve had successfully gotten hold of his uniform from the Smithsonian, and had gotten into place at the Triskelion with Agent Hill, Sam and Fury. Natasha's role was unknown to me, but I had a feeling that her part would be big and spectacular –she was fun that way.

"Anything good coming in?" Richie asked from beside me. He'd wanted to listen in on the chatter, but decided that his attention would be better spent keeping watch.

We had parked a good distance from the Triskelion. Since I knew first-hand how huge the Carriers could be, it was a safe bet that when they went down, there'd be a huge amount of debris falling on top of everything. So, we were sitting a good half-mile or so away from the outskirts of SHIELD's property, our eyes focused on the tall building.

I shook my head, eyes not leaving the computer tablet propped up in my lap. "Not yet. Oh, wait, here goes something."

"This is Captain Rogers," I heard Steve announce, his voice full of authority. "SHIELD has been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader. Those carriers, they're triggered to take out millions of people around the world. The price of freedom is high, but it's a price I'm willing to pay. Don't let control take the place of freedom!"

That was the signal everyone was waiting for, and that was when all hell broke loose.

* * *

For what felt like an eternity, I sat and listened to various pieces of conversations, my attention going back and forth between one set of people and another. It was like surfing around several television stations, and only getting part of what was going on during each program.

When I finally settled on one, I heard Natasha remark, "I'm sorry. Did I step on your moment?"

I then heard heavy footsteps as someone strode purposefully into the room. This was followed by someone speaking, a man I assumed was Alexander Pierce, the man who had cause this whole mess. His voice was so full of surety and authority that it couldn't be anyone else.

"Did you get the flowers I sent?" the strange man's voice asked. From the way he said it, I guessed the person who had just entered the room was Director Fury.

Fury didn't answer the man, and I could hear a control panel beeping as he, or someone under his instructions, entered something into a computer.

"I know you're upset with how I've run things," Pierce softly said trying to turn on the charm. "But what if your daughter was being held hostage by terrorists in a stadium, and all you had to do was enter a set of coordinates to take those terrorists out? I could protect the lives of seven billion people, at the cost of twenty million. It takes courage to do that."

Fury was clearly not buying it. "And it takes courage not to." I heard the heavy step of his boots on the floor as he walked. "No doubt you've erased my optical scan from SHIELD's systems. The thing is: you erased the wrong one."

I heard a gun being loaded and ready to fire. "Now, let's take care of this thing. Step up, Alex."

A moment later, I heard a computer beep, confirming the identities of the two men. I wondered what was going on, but didn't dare. Besides, it was only a one-way communication -I could hear them, but they couldn't hear me.

"What are you doing?" Pierce asked, trying, and failing, to hide his anger and frustration.

"Uploading all of SHIELD's files to the Net," Natasha casually replied. "There'll be no where to hide, once the world knows what you've been up to." She paused. "Oh, look; it's trending!"

Shaking my head, I switched to another line of communication, to see what Steve was doing.

* * *

Unfortunately, my husband being the soldier that he was, I only got spotty bits of talk on his end. This, of course, was due to the fact that Steve was constantly in the line of fire, either receiving it, or aiming it at people.

I heard Sam ask how they'd tell the good guys from the bad. Steve's reply was, "If they're shooting at you, they're bad."

Chuckling, I shook my head, amused in spite of the hail of bullets that followed Steve's comment. Almost against my will, I looked away from the tracking dots and focused on the building itself. I saw a tiny winged figure soaring and gliding through the air, my eyes going wide with wonder and envy. I'd always wished I'd had wings, and there Sam was, using a pair to fly. He was so lucky!

Before we'd left the dam, Richie had told me what Sam's role during the fight would be, and what his equipment would be. I had made a note to myself, right then and there, that if Sam's suit made it through today, I was going to ask if I could borrow it for a little while.

'_He'll say no, but I'm sure I could talk him into it._' And I wouldn't let Steve know about it, either, not until after I'd had a bit of fun in the air.

"The first chip is secure," Steve finally said, making me sigh in relief. One down, two to go.

It took longer than I liked for Sam to confirm that the second chip had been set in the second Carrier, and I knew that by now, whatever operatives HYDRA had working inside SHIELD were well onto our plan. A lot of extra firepower was going on, and a ton of fighting was happening –jets were being blown up before they even left the ground, some even as they were trying to take off. Those loyal to SHIELD were trying to help where they could, but they were being picked off by HYDRA's infiltrators before they could do much.

I bit my lip hard, not wanting to think of all the good, decent agents that were losing their lives today. As much as I wanted to mourn them, now wasn't the time; I would have to push that pain down and cry about it later. Hopefully, someone would give them the honors they deserved.

"Richie, pass me a pair of binoculars," I said, stretching a hand towards him, my eyes focused on the fight going on in the distance.

I hadn't been given a pair when we'd left the dam, but I knew that Richie had to have some –I'd bet that my personal guard was packing a lot of secret tools and gadgets that I wasn't supposed to know about.

I heard him sigh, but just as I knew it would, a pair of binoculars was put into my palm. I immediately put them up to my eyes, and did not like the sight that greeted me. There was Steve falling through open air, only to be caught by Sam, who seemed to sag under the weight of my husband. How he managed to catch him like that was behind me, but I was both impressed and annoyed. Steve was going to hear about this from me, once it was all over.

"Sometimes I think he's a closet daredevil," I muttered, putting down the binoculars so that I could focus on the conversations again.

By now, not a lot was being said. Agent Hill was doing most of the talking, and most of it consisted of nagging the others to hurry up and get the last chip into place, before the Carriers were brought online. Alexander Pierce appeared to have been dealt with, if the muffled whispering voices of Natasha and Fury were any indication. The fact that they were preventing me from hearing what they were talking about obviously meant that particular aspect of the mission was done –it was time to get ready for whatever retaliation HYDRA might be preparing to throw at them.

Turning my attention back towards Steve, I was in time to hear him say, "People are going to die, Buck. I can't let that happen."

Oh, god. What must he be thinking now, going up against his former best friend? It would kill me to do it, but if my friend stood between me and saving the world, would I have the strength to do what I had to?

The familiar sound of Cap's shield whirling through the air told me that Steve knew what needed to be done, and that he was willing to do it. I heard punches hitting their mark, and the grunts of pain that came afterwards. There was also the clanging sound of metal-on-metal as the Soldier's arm met Steve's shield. My thoughts whirled with the damage being done to the man I loved, and every part of my heart and soul prayed that he'd be alright.

'_Please come back to me, Steve. Please be okay_.' Those were the constant prayers spinning through my head as the fight went on, seeming for an eternity.

Then I heard the gun shots, and my heart froze until I hear the familiar sound of Steve's steady breathing. I clung to the hope that he was alright, right up until I heard him grunt in pain as a bullet struck him.

"Oh, god, Steve," I whispered, tears forming as I struggled to keep my focus on him.

"Thirty seconds, Cap!" Hill said through the communications link.

There was a faint beep as a chip was put into place. "The last chip is in place," Steve struggled to say. "Fire."

"But, Steve!" Hill protested, panic in her voice as the same emotion surged through me.

"Do it now!" Steve yelled, his voice full of pain and resignation. Quietly, he whispered, "I'm sorry, Adena. I love you."

No. "No!" I screamed, dropping the computer and scrambling for the car door.

"Adena, don't!" Richie cried as he reached for me, grabbing my arm. "There's nothing you can do!"

I let out a string of profanity as I whipped out my small taser and jammed it against his arm. Cursing, he let go, and I was able to pry open the door and race out before he could stop me.

* * *

I honestly had no idea what I was doing or where, exactly, I was going as soon as I left the SUV behind me. The only thing that really registered was that JT was still feeding the conversations into my earpiece, which somehow managed to stay in place as I ran for the Triskelion.

Holding JT up to my face, I ordered him to forget what the others were saying, and to focus on Steve. "And I want you to contact whatever government agencies you can," I puffed as I ran down a sidewalk, weaving through gawkers who stood and stared at the immense battle going on. "We'll also need medical teams."

"Yes, miss," JT replied. "I am also contacting Mr. Stark and Miss Potts. They are currently in California, but will no doubt make numerous resources available to you whenever you need them."

Yes, that would be nice. I very much expected the U.S. government to want our heads for taking down SHIELD and exposing a whole slew of top-secret files to the world, but that would be something we could deal with later. Right now, my husband was ready to die, and I had absolutely no intention of letting him go that easily.

'_When I get my hands on him, he is __**so**__ going to get a piece of my mind_,' I thought as I dodged a bicyclist and ran across a street.

By now, a barrage of bullets and laser fire had let loose, the Carriers each heavily firing on each other. Two of them were headed down, but one still managed to maintain a level above the Potomac River.

In my ear, I could still hear what was going on in the Carrier Steve was on.

"You know me," he was saying to someone I could only guess was Bucky.

"No, I don't!"

"Your name is James Buchanan Barnes," Steve managed to say before the other man told him to 'shut up.' I heard punches being thrown, and grunts of pain on both sides.

"I'm not going to fight you." I heard Steve drop his shield, and my worry level leaped through the roof as he said, "You're my friend."

"And you're my _mission_!" the other man yelled.

For the next several minutes, I heard the man I loved getting beaten to a pulp, and as it happened, I felt tears flow. As much as I wanted to scream through the link, to plead for Steve to fight back, I knew he wouldn't. This was his best friend –he would suffer through anything to get through to him.

The one-sided fight stopped, and I heard Steve mutter, "Then finish it…because I'm with you, 'til the end of the line…"

Just as I reached a park near the edge of the Triskelion's property, I heard a huge crash through my earpiece. "Steve!" I cried, even though I knew he couldn't hear me.

Looking up, I saw a rain of debris fall from the remaining Carrier, and what I thought to be a human figure plunge into the Potomac. Panic immediately set in, and I quickly ordered JT to show me where everyone was. I hoped that Steve wasn't the one who had falling into the river, but if it was him, then I needed to get there, before it was too late.

My hopes were crushed when I saw the blinking dot that indicated my husband was in the river –and it wasn't moving. My heart felt as though it were going to implode from the mere thought that my husband hadn't made it.

'_He's got to be alive_,' I firmly told myself. '_He's been through a lot worse than this. He has to have made it_!'

Staring at JT, I watched, praying that the impossible would happen. After several long heartbeats, it did: the blip that was Steve began moving towards the far shore of the river!

I took a deep breath and began running again.

* * *

It was a long haul, but I managed to make it to the shoreline the same moment that Steve's indicator did. I knew that this part of the river was undeveloped, so it would be a bit of a rough trek down to the water, but who cared? The blip remained motionless, a clear indication that Steve was either taking a break, or unconscious. Either way, I knew he was alive.

"JT," I panted while searching for a way down to the shore, "Send our coordinates to the medical teams. Steve's going to need help."

At last, I found a small trail that led down to the water, but it was slippery with damp rocks and mud. I was able to make it down to the rocky shoreline without twisting an ankle, but the sight that greeted me there told me that a busted ankle would be the least of my worries.

There by my husband, standing tall and imposing in black materials that made his metal arm stand out, was the Winter Soldier. His face was covered in bruises, and his loose brown hair was a mess, but he seemed to notice nothing except for the man lying at his feet.

"Steve!" I cried, rushing forward, only to freeze in my tracks as the Soldier turned and looked at me.

In the blink of an eye, he had a weapon in his hands as cold blue eyes focused on me. The knife in his hand could easily have been thrown into my chest, but to my immense relief, he chose not to do it.

Holding up my hands to show I was unarmed, I licked my lips and decided to try and talk my way out of this. Fighting would be pointless –I'd be dead before I could make a move. There was no way I could take on a trained assassin like him.

"Please, let me help him," I softly pleaded. "Let me see if he's okay."

The Soldier (for I refused to call him Bucky) hesitated for several tense heartbeats. Finally, he slowly nodded and lowered his knife, tucking it into a holder somewhere under his arm. Once it was clear that he wasn't going to kill me, I quickly made my way to Steve's side, my fingers flying to his neck to try and locate a pulse as I leaned in to see if he was breathing.

I nearly wept when I felt the soft puff of his breath against my ear and his pulse gently beating under my fingertips. "Oh, thank god," I whispered, smiling in relief.

Looking up, I saw the Soldier heading off down the shore. "Bucky, wait!" I cried, but stopped when I realized that I had really no idea why I was doing this.

To my surprise, he did as I asked. Turning, he waited to see what it was I wanted. Swallowing hard, I called, "We can help you. We know who you really are. Steve and I, we can help you remember!"

He seemed to think about that for a moment, but in the end, he shook his head and left, a dazed, angry and confused look in his eyes.

I pushed aside the swell of pity that was forming for him. If he chose to come looking for help, Steve and I would give it to him. For now, I had to tend to my wounded husband.

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AN: Review?


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